Google This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online. It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover. Marks, notations and other maiginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you. Usage guidelines Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing tliis resource, we liave taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying. We also ask that you: + Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes. + Refrain fivm automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help. + Maintain attributionTht GoogXt "watermark" you see on each file is essential for in forming people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it. + Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liabili^ can be quite severe. About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at |http: //books .google .com/I F II O P £ R T Y 1 F - ^nimsiwo WUL ^^ AtTCS tCltWHA VBKH T \^ /' ^ t . t ■ I >^' ^ ' 1 ii^i ^ ^ m THE JAPANESE EXPEDITION If TO ,! FORMOSA BY E:r)A\^-A.RD H. HOUSE TOKIO V 1875 u X15 895 .F75 N,*. q^ a^^. It will be obvious that the following pages make no pretence to the fonn- ality of a historical I'ecord. They are chiefly collected from memoranda of personal observation of the incidents described, and of authentic narratives of the diplomatic transactions between the governments of Japan and China, Their necessarily hasty prei)aration makes them incomplete in many imrticulars, and there are, indeed, realms why a full and unabridged report of the events connected with Formosa might be inexpedient at this moment ; but, within the limits prescril)ed for them, they are believed to represent the lejiding features of the subject with accuracy, and to be sup- ix)rted by sufficient evidence upon all points concerning which discussion may hereafter arise. JIany of the earlier chapters originally appeared in the form of letters to the Nein York Herald^ during the summer and autumn of 1874. ToKio, April, 1875. vi CONTENTS, CHAPTER IV. PAGE AMOY — ^NBW OBSTACLES — DEFECTION OF AN ENGLISH AOENT — CONSULAR AUTOCRACY — OPINIONS OF U. 8. OFFICIALS — ^VOYAGE ACROSS FORMOSA STRAIT — THE " TUKO MARU " Altf'HORED IN LIANGKIAO BAY. . • 25 CHAPTER V. FIRST COHHUNICATION WITH THE SHORE^— THE INTERPRETER JOHNSON — LIANGKIAO BAY — INTERVIEW WITH NATIVE VILLAGERS — THEIR AP- PEARANGB AND DEHF.ANOR — BFFF/JTS OF BETEL-NUT CHEWING — AN- NOUNCEMENT OP JAPANESE INTENTIONS — THE QUESTION OF DISCIPLINE. 30 CHAPTER VI. A PARTY OF INSPECTION — THE VILLAGE OF SIALIAO AND ITS INHABITANTS — EXPLORATION OF THE NFJGHBORHOOD — GENERAL ASPECT OF THE LOCALITY — UNEXPECTED EITECT OF A WEDDING FESTIVAL. ... 35 CHAPTER VII. THE H08PITALITIF*S OF LIANGKIAO — A PIG SACRIFICED — ^SHOCKS TO NATIVE DELICACY — A SIALIAO BANQUET — SECOND TOUR OF INVESTIGA- TION — PERSONAL EXPERIENCES — A CONVOCATION OF INJfcUISITIVB FE- MALES — VIVACIOUS BUT UNPRODUCTIVE COLLOQUIES -^^ CHAPEER VIII. LANDING OF TROOPS AND STORES — DEFICIENCIES OF MILITARY SYSTEM — IN€IDBNTS OF DEBARKATION — DISPOSITION OF THE INHABITANTS — FIRST PLANS FOR AN ENCAMPMENT — N'ATIVE LABORERS EMPLOYFJ). 45 CHAPTER IX. BEHAVIOR OP THE POPULACE — THEIR UNCONTROLLABLE CURIOSITY — PBR8ISTENT INGENUITY BAFFLED — DISCOMFORT FROM HEAT — AN ILLUMINATION 51 CONTENTS. vii CHAPTER X. PAGE NATIVE LABORERS EMPLOYED — THEIR IMPRATICABILITY — VISIT OF A BRITISH GUNBOAT — AN ENTERPRISING CONSUL — INSATIABLE GREED OF THE POPULACFi — A THREATENED APPEAL TO ARMS — ARRIVAL OF ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS — JAPANESE HOUSE-BUILDING IN FORMOSA 55 CHAPTER XI. NEW CAMP SELECTED — FRESH DIFFICULTIES WITH THE NATIVES — RASH EXCURSION OF UNAUTHORIZED VOLUNTEERS — AN INTERVIEW WITH SAVAGE CHIEFS — ^THE LEADER OF SOUTHERN FORMOSA — FRIENDLY RELATIONS ESTABLISHED — CONFIDENCE IN GENERAL LE GENDRE — ANOTHER FEAST 61 I CHAPTER XII. A BA8H ADVANCE AND ITS RESULT — THE PENAITY OF STBAGGUNG DECAPITATION OF A SATSUMA SOLDIER — ASSAULT ON A BOAT*S CREW OF A JAPANESE FRIGATE — VIOLENT RAIN STORM AND CONSEQUENT DELAYS 68 CHAPTER XIII. ASSAULT ON A RECONNOITRING PARTY — ANOTHER IMPRUDENT EXCURSION — ^ATTACK IN FORCE BY THE JAPANFiSFi — ^FUTILE PURSUIT OF THE SAVAGES — A SUSPECTED VILLAGFi — ESTABLISHMENT OF OUTPOSTS — THE FIRST REGULAR ENGAGEMENT — SIX JAPANESE AND SIXTEEN ABORIGINES SLAIN 71 viii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. PAGE ARRIVAL OF GENERAL 8AIG0 — ^FRESH STORES AND RE-EXF0RCEHENT8 — UNEXPECTED VISIT OJ TWO CHINESE SHIPS OF WAR — A FRIENDLY MISSION — INTERVIEWS OF COURTESY — LETTER FROM THE VICFiROY AT FU KIEN — FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF CHINESE CLAIM OF AUTHORITY — THE QUESTION OF FUTURE CONTROL DEFFFJIED — ^NATlONAL SALUTA- i TIONS — CHINESE AWKWARDNESS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HEAVY. GUNS FIRST INEFFECTUAL RESULTS OF FOREIGN INTERFERENCE — ITS SUBSEQUENT 8UCCFJ3S — CHINESE INERTIA CONTRASTED WITH JAPANESE ACTIVITY 75 CHAPTER XV. LATER INTELLIGENCE FROM JAPAN — ^UNJUST ASPERSIONS — ^MR. BING- HAm's PROTEST — POSSIBLE MOTIVES FOR HIS COURSE — RETROSPECTIVE DETAILS — SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACTION OF DIPLOMATIC MEMBERS — ^RESPONSIBILITIES OF OKUMA— CONCLUSIONS 01 THAT OF- FICER — AN INVESTIGATION AND ITS RESULTS — OKUBO TOSIMITI — FUTILITY OF FOREIGN OPPOSITION 83 CHAPTER XVI. INCIDENTS OF THE RECENT ENCOUNTERS — SAVAGE CHIEFTAINS SLAIN — THE POLICY DECIDED UPON — INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEERS QUESTION- ABLE DISCIPLINE — TEMPER OF THE COAST VILLAGERS — EFFECT OP THE BOTAN DEFEAT UPON THE MOUNTAINEERS — ^A WARLIKE INTER- PRETER — EXCESSIVE HEAT — DIVERSIONS OF THE SOLDIERS. ... 91 CHAPTER XVII. SECOND CONFERENCE WITH ISA AND OTHER CHIEFS — THE BEARING OP THE SAVAGE LFJkDER — OVERESTIMATED STRENGTH OF SOUTHERN TRIBES — CONDITIONS OP AMICABLE INTERCOURSE — A FAIR COMPACT — ^EXCHANGE OF PRESENTS 97 CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XVIII. PAGE PROJECTED MARCH INTO THE INTERIOR — DIFFICULTIES OF THE UNDER- TAKING — ^FiSTIMATED FORCE OF THE SAVAGE TRIBES — INACCURACY OF ANTECEDENT REPORTS — POLITICAL RELATIONS OF THE VARIOUS CHIEFS. 104 CHAPTER XIX. PLAN OP THE PROPOSED EXCURSION — HEAVY RAIN STORMS — SLEEPING UNDER UMBRELLAS— COMMERCIAL SPIRIT OF THE LIANGKIAO NATIVFiS — METHODS OF INTERCOURSE — THE LAST OF THE BALD-HEADED AGITATOR — DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING GUIDES — A UNITFJ) STATES* SHIP IN DANGER 108 CHAPTER XX. IMPERFECTION OF MAPS OF FORMOSA — MOVFJiENT TO THE INTERIOR — HEAVY ROADS AND DIFFICULT RIVER PASSAGES — SOLDIERS DROWNED — THREE COLUMNS ON THE MARCH — LABORIOUS PROGRFJSS — CAM^ PAIGNING IN NIGHT DRESS — APPROACH TO THE STONE GATE. . . 114 CHAPTER XXI. THE STONE GATE — SKIRMISH OF MAY TWENTY-SECOND REVIEWED — GALLANTRY OF THE JAPANESE — PRIMITIVE BUT EIFECTIVE TACTICS — RELUCTANCE TO ABANDON THE CONTENT — A SCALING PARTY — THE ENEMY PUT TO FLIGHT — NUMBERS OF KILLED AND WOUNDED. . 119 CHAPTER XXII. FORDING AT THE STONE GATE — PERSONAL REMINISCENES — THOUGHTFUL- NF^S OF JAPANESE OFIICERS — A SINGULAR DISCOVERY — GRAVFi? OF THE MURDERED RIU KIUANS — FATIGUES OF MOUNTAIN CLIMBING — DISTANT SKIRMISHFJ3 — lORMIDABLE BARRICADES— THE ADVANCE INTERRUPTED— A NIGHT IN A CHEVEUX DE IRISE — UNE BEHAVIOR OF THE FOLDIERP. 124 r X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII. PAGE KEUBF AT HAND — THE WATCHES OF THE NIGHT — FEA8T OF SWEET POTATOES — AN AMIYA VILLAGE — THE INFERIOR RACE — CAPTURE AND DESTRUCTION OF BOTAN AND KUSUKUT — THE NORTHERN AND SOUTH- ERN DETACHMENTS ASTRAY — REUNION OF GENERAL OFFICERS — A DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS— RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION — RETURN TO LIANGKIAO — A PAINFUL MARCH — JAPANESE COURTESY 129 CHAPTER XXIV. REST AND REFRESHMENT — RESULTS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED — THIRD INTERVIEW WITH ABORIGINAL CHIEFS — A F0R310SAN WEDDING — MAR- RIAGE CEREMONIES AND FESTIVITIES — VISIT Of SAVAGE LEADERS TO THE ENCAMPMENT — ISA IMPROVES THE SITUATION 137 CHAPTER XXV. VOYAGE TO THE EASTERN COAST — NISHIN BAY — DIFFICULTY OF LANDING — AMICABLE GREETINGS — DISTENDED EARS OF FORMOSANS — THE CHIEF OF KOALUT — REFRESHMENTS IN OPEN AIR — FORMOSAN DISTILLED SPIRITS — ISA IN HIS CUPS — CAMP IN THE SAVAGE COUNTRY. . . 145 CHAPTER XXVI. NEW CAMP ESTABLISHED — JAPANESE SURGEONS — INSALUBRITY OF THE OLD STATION — A TRANQUIL EXISTENCE — ANIMALS, INSECTS, AND REPTILES OF THE COUNTRY — LIMITED DIVERSIONS-*-SAIGO*S CHOICE OF AN INVADING ARMY — YOKOHAMA NEWSPAPERS — JAPANESE EX- PLORATIONS OF FORMOSA — FRIENDLY VISITS TO THE INTERIOR — EXPERIMENTAL FARM ATTEMPTED lOO CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER XXVII. fagk SECOND VISIT FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS — MANNER OP THEIR RFXJEPTION — COMPLIMENTS PROM A FOREIGN ADVISER — PERSONNEL OP THE MISSION — YANAOIWARA, JAPANESE ENVOY TO PEKING — FIRST SUG- GESTION OF REMONSTANCE FROM CHINA — CONFERENCES IN SHANGHAI — VIOLATION OF CHINESE PLEDGES — INTERVIEWS BETWEEN GENERAL SAIGO AND COMMISSIONER PAN WI — DIPLOMATIC CUNNING AND SOL- DIERLY CANDOR l''>8 CHAPTER XXVIII. CHINFJ3E VISITS TO THE INTERIOR — FINAL CONFERENCE — A RAY OF LIGHT — PLAIN EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION — SHARP WORDS — PRACTICAL PROPOSALS FAVORABLY RECEIVED — TERMS OF SETTLEMENT SUGGESTED — COURTESIES TO THE VISITORS —JAPANESE AND CHINESE SOLDIERS C0N8TRASTBD 168 CHAPTER XXIX. LETTERS FR03I UNITED STATES* OFUCERS — THE AMERICANS AGAIN WAUNKI: — CONSriiAR NOTIFICATION — EXCITEMENT IN AMOY — JAPAN- ESE HOSTILE MOVEMENTS DISCONTINUED 172 CHAPTER XXX. STORM ON THE FORMOSA COAST — HASTY FLIGHT — INVOLUNTARY TRIP TO AMOY — PANIC AMONG THE CITIZENS — ACn'ION OF THE UNITED STATES* OFFICJERK — LETTER FROM THE VICEROY AT FU KIEN — CHINESE DREAD OF AMERICAN CO-OPERATION — FALLACY OF CLAIMS OP JURISDICTION UKPKATKl) OFFICIAL DENIALS 17.'> CHAPTEll I. OUIGIN OK THE AFFAIU — MUKDEUS OF J.VPANESK SUBJECTS — SAVAGE TUIIIES OF FORMOSA — OUTRAGES ON NAVIGATORS — CASE OF THE AMERICAN SHIP "IW^VER" — CRITIFH ACTION — U. F. .EXrEDITlONS — ^NAVAL ATTACK AND REPULSE — CHINESE INAIULITY TO C0NTR(3L THE AIJORIGINES — DENIALS OF RES1\)NSIU1LITV — VISITS OF GEN. LE GENDRB — FRIENDLY AGREEMENT — RENEWAL OF BARBARITIES — CHINESE INDlFFFaiENCE. The original ciuise and occiisioii for tlie Jaixmese cxixMlitiou to the soutk- c;i8tcrii coast of the island known to Europciins i\s Forniosii was the mtmler, in DeceuilKsr, 1871, of a number of shiin\Tecked lliu Kin islanders, who were accidentally driven ashore near the territory occupied hy the seini-savage race of Botiwis, whose hostility to strangers of every nationality had long nuule them the terror of the region over which they held control. Since these waters were firat visited by navigators, the history of their rela- tion with the tril)e8 inhabiting the eastern shore, with whom they were thrown in contact, luul been one of ahnost uninteiTui)ted depredation and atrocity on one side, and suflfering or martyrdom on the other. In recent tmies hardly a year hiul ]>jisfte(l without the record of a series of fresh out- rages uix)n those whom the cjilamities of the ocevn lnul cast among these alK)ri«rinea. Mariners from nearlv everv civilized nation were known to have l)een either slaughtered outright, or to have iH3rished from the inhmnan treatment to which they were subjected. In addition to the long cat?ilogue of authenti»ited instances of iKirlnrism, there was such general ami well grounded suspicion concerning the fate of a midtituJe of ships that had diaapixjared in the neighborhood that the meramtile community had come to 1 2 CASE OF THE ROVER, March, look upon the passage of this part of the coast of Formosa as, in certain respects, the most hazardous in the Eastern seas. The ferocious character attributed to the inhabitants may be understood by the fact that they were usually designated " The Cannibals,'' although it was not known that the term had anything more than a figurative application. It was used as a comprehensive description of a people who, bound together by the defensive and oflPensive ties of piracy and outlawry, regarded all strangers as their enemies ; repelled the approaches of their nearest partially civilized neigh- bors, the Chinese ; acknowledged the authority of only their own wild . natures, and demonstrated their resolution to resist all influences from abroad by the unsparing and merciless destruction of the helpless sufferers who were forced from time to time to seek shelter at their hands. If Americans were not esiiecially the victims of these cruelties, at least the instances of violence against Americans were those that most frequently came to light. The most flagrant of these was probably the case of the bark "Rover," which is still vividly memorable in the East, not only oA account of its own distressing circumstances, but also for its somewhat re- markable consequences. It led to a condition of affairs which affected various countries, more or less directly, and a certain connection can even be traced between it and the movement of the Japanese government now under consideration. On the 9th of March, 1867, the "Rover " left the Chinese port of Suatao for Niuchang, and was driven by a storm to the south of Formosa, where she struck, it is supposed, upon the " Vele Rete " rocks. She presently sunk, the Captain, named Hunt, escaping with his wife and the crew in boats. They made their way with some difficulty to a point on the south-eastern shore of the island, landing within the limits occupied by the tribe of Koalut. Soon after being, discovered, they were attacked by the natives and were all killed with the exception ^of a single Chinese sailor, who had hidden himself uix)n the first appearance of the assailants, and who afterward succeded in getting to Takao, on the western 1867. AMERICAN EXPEDITIONS. S coast, where he related the circumstances. la due season the intell^ence became known at Taiwan Fu, the principal Chinese town in Formosa, whence it was communicated by the British Consul to his Minister in Peking and hj him to Mr. Burlingame. While that gentleman was occupied in the preparation of measures of redress, Captain Broad, of the British Navy, who was stationed at the time at Taiwan Fu, started in the man-of- war "Cormorant," to the scene of the slaughter, in the uncertain hope of finding and rescuing survivors, should any still exist. He reached the Koalut country on the 26th of March and commenced his search, but was in turn fired upon and compelled to retire. One of his men was* wounded, though none were killed. He shelled the attacking islanders, from his vessel, and drove them out from the jungle in which they were hidden; bujb, having no force sufficient to warrant a pursuit, soon abandoned the contest and returned to Takao and Amoy. In the month of April, 1867, the United States* Consul at Amoy, General C. W. Le Gendre, made a vigorous effort to put himself in com- munication with the heads of the marauding tribes, with a view to obtaining pledges of security for the future, but was at this time unable to go on shore, the Koaluts refusing to allo\v him to land peacefully. The Chinese officials of the wastern coast disclaimed any direct authority over the people of the East and declared their inability to interfere, although the Central Government at Peking expressed a disposition to inflict chastise- ment, in consequence of the assumption by the United States' ^Minister that China was responsible for the deeds of all the Formosans. In June, 1867, Admiiul Bell, having received instructions from Washington, sailed in the "Hartford," accompanied by the "Wyoming," for the purpose of enforcing attention to the demands of civilization. The expedition was not successful. A body of one hundred and eighty-one officers, sailors and marines was landed on the 19th of June, ^nd, after a brief engagement, during which Lieutenant Commander A. S. Mackenzie was killed, was with- 4 CHINESE DENIAL OF AUTHORITY. Sei'T. drawn in Bome coiifusioii to tlie ships. The difficulties of tlie situation appearing to bo greater tli.xu hul been anticipated, the whole affair Wiis ia- definitely abindoned. These details, not without iinix>rtance in themselves, will be found to iK)ssess a particular significance as showing an identity of interests between the governincnt of the United States and that of JajKin — an identity wliich, in the early stiiges of the Japanese movement, was dis- i;egarded to an extent producing serioiLS embarrassments and complications. In their reports detailing these events, the United States' officers, in- cluding Admiral Bell, expressed the confident opinion that the only effective method of rendering the region permanently safe and freeing the the waters of that vicinity from their jx^rils would be the di8i)er8al of the aborigines from the shores and the occupation of the coast by a jx)werful ally. It was urged that the Chinese should be induced to undertake tliis duty ; but experience had already shown, as it hiis since shown more forcibly, that the task Wc\s beyond both their inclination and their ix)wer. As to legitimate control over the Formosan tribes of the East they disclauned it altogether, and, in fact, tlioii* own \\\^^^ clearly exhibited the luie where the exercise of their jurisdiction ceased. In all that rehites to the development of subsetpient events it is imjK>rtiint to remember that the Clunese ]Tersis- tently procUhned the "Cannibals '' to be wholly outside of their dominion. It wiis ui)on tliis understanding, and in conseipience of the reixjatcd aduiiii- sions of the Peking authorities of their inabiUty to repress the outrages which threatened to become more and more fre(pient, that the Ja^ianese finally resolved to take active measures of tlieir own, and to endeavor to carry but a jwlicy that sliould not only secure immunity for their own sub- jects, but sliould also assist the cause of himaanit^^ for all niitions. After tlie ineffectual attempt of the "Haiiford '* to bring the Koaiuts to reason, a second visit wpe;vr to jn-odnce the intimidating effects which those who sent them had perhrijxs anticijxited, and, indeed, in the negotiations which ensued, the Chinese leader was treated with an indifFerence, not to say insolence, that ])lainly showed the independent attitude and intentions of the Formosan tribes. Geneml Le Gendre adopted the lx)ldest jKDSsible course of miction, wliich proved to be the wisest. He went alone, that Ls to say attended only by the necessary interpreters and guides, sc^ne half dozen altogether, to a conference with the confederated Southern chiefs, eighteen in number, who were at- tended by a formidable l)ody of armed men. The interview was entirely pacific, and, to some extent, friendly. Tokitok, at that period the » acknowledged heixd of the eighteen tribes, excused the wanton cnielties of the Koaluts, after his fashion, by saying that they were i>art of a prolonged scheme of 'revenge. "A long time ago,'* he declared, "white i)eople had nearly extiq)ated the Koalut nice leaving only three who surnved to liand down to their posterity the desire for vengeance. Having no ships to pur- sue foreigners, they had taken their revenge as best they coidd.*' There ia no improbability in this statement. The records of the Dutch visits to, and occupation of, jwrtions of Formosa in the seventeenth century, are stained by misdeeds as gi'oss as any of which the Asiatic savages, at this day, have given reason to complain. The result of this meotinj' between Tokitok and the United States* Consul was a promise on the pirt of the former to respect, under reasonable conditions, the lives and property of all Americans and Europeans who shoidd thereafter be thrown upon his shores. That j)romi8e, so far as is known, was faithfully adhered to. Eut the chief would make no such agi-eemcnt with the Chinese Geneml, and, in fiict refused to ♦ 3«'c Appendix, D. RENEWAL OF BARBARITIES. ' Sept. confer with him upon any subject. When pressed for an interview he sent hifi dai^hterB to answer forTiim that he had yielded to the American Con- sul in cotisequence of the bravery shown by his countrymen in the " Hart- ford " and " Wyoming " fight— implying that the Chinese had established no Isuch claim upon his consideration. From that time, for a period of several years, as often as the oppor- tunity offered, the better di8posed#of the savage population proved their sincerity by succoring castaways, and sending notice to the nearest Chinese stations whenever foreigners in distress appealed to them. But the territory over which Tokitok held sway was, after all, of very uncertain extent. He kept his own immediate followers in order, but could not always restrain the barbarous impulses of his neighbors. Many of the eighteen tribes • were in the habit of denying his authority altogether, when it suited their inteiest or caprice to do so, and some of them, notably the Botans, gradually withdrew themselves from the confederation, which was at no time bound together by any stricter tie than that of common convenience. Depreda- tions and outrages began to be practised by those living to^he north of his possessions, and the crews of several foreign ships were subjected to various degrees of ill-ti^tment. The Chinese had washed their hands of the busi- ness, and it is doubtful if their attention was again seriously called to it, until after the occurence which led, by slow degrees, to the operations pre- sently to be recorded. CHAPTER II. SLAUGHTER OF BIU KIUANS — RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND RIU KIU — ANNEXATION OP THE LATTER — ^PROMPT ACTION FOR REDRESS — CLAIMS UPON CHINA — ^POLICY OF SOYEZIMA — ANCIENT JAPANESE RULE IN FORMOSA — SOYEZIMA IN PEKING — EFFECTIVE BUT IMCOMPLBTE DIPLOMACY — OBJEC- TIONS OF rWAKURA — ^THE PROJECT APPARENTLY ABANDONED. I In the month of December, 1871, a large fishing and trading vessel belonging to one of the islands of the Miyako group, which lies east of Formosa, was wrecked near that part of the coast occupied by the Botans — at times allies of Tokitok, but not always subject to his rule. Fifty-four of the crew were murdered ; * others escaped and carried the tidings to their people, who, like all the islanders under the authority of the Riu Kiu officials, are a mild and perfectly peaceful community. The event was wholly unprecedented in their experience. Seldom venturing far from their own shores, and knowing no adjacent lands except those of their own countrymen, to the northward, they had never conceived the possibility of a catastrophe of this description. la their first p«M^c they applied at once for protection to the only government with which they were acquainted, that of Shuri, in the principal island of the Riu Kiu cluster. The author- ities of this place were almost as timid and unsophisticated as themselves. For more than two ceMuries they had exercised their simple functions with- out much independent responsibility of action, confiding implicitly in the superior strength of the Japanese feudal lords of whom they were tributary vas8als.t Apart from the fact that Biu Kiu is peopled by the same race as * See Appendix, £. - f See Appendix,- A. 8 mU KIU. July, that of the islands of Jajxin, its little history has always l)een closely inter- woven with tliat of the southern provinces of the Empire. That Bin Kiu Wiis directly settled from Japan is extremely probable, and it is certahi that since the twelfth century it has been steadily under the strong influence, if not the absolute control, of the Japanese. In the eliticiil system of the Empire 1872. PROMPT ACTION BY JAPAN. 9 liad taken i>lace a few montha Iwiore, and the I'uiidal riglits of the daiiniDs luul IxiGn Biirremlorcil t»i the central government. Siitsmiia waw ixiweilews to deal with the 'question, antl it was HUggested tliat a commiwBion be KCnt directly from Rin Kin to Tokio, (Ycdo) to consider and disciisa not only this Biibject, but also the whole matter of the rolatioiiship of the tribntftry kingdom toward the newly ro-org:vnized nation. In the summer of 1872 a deputation consoqiiently amved, including among its memheitt the King's 9on, and the princi]ial Ministers of State. They were treated with the greatest posBihle consideration and IcindnoHs. It was ngi-eed that Japan should undertake ia iiffonl full and efficient protection to the inlmliitants of Biu Khi and all its dependencies. The territory was to be considered as proiicrly belonging to the Ja]»nese Empire. The nder, from obvious necessity, would be i-eqiured to i-elinquish his sovereign title and dignities, but should receive in excliango those of a ' Kuazoku," or hereditary nohlo of the nation. Moreover, tlic odministriition of the local government should remun in his family — a privilt^ gnmted tononeoftlicolddainiios. Those ■ who are acipiaiutetl with the course of recent political events and with polit- ical nomenclature in Jajan will understand the exact nature of the position acconled to Bin Kin, when itiie sbited that while all the other provinces were converted to "ken," it alone ivas allowed to remain a "han."° In regai-d to the atrocities of the Fomiosans the Japanese were j)repar- ed to take prompt action. The firet question to be considered was whether anv recognizeil gi>vemment either exercised or claimed jwsitive jurisdiction over these wild tribes. The circiuuBtaiicc that the western jiart of the i&land was occupietl by the Chinese affoi-ded some ground for a belief that that nation might assume the t4isk of Iteoping the eastern coast in order The necessary represautations were made without delay. Just at this time the Japanese had an espi^ial claim u^ion the attention of the Chinese government. They liad released a number of co^)liee from a Peniviun bark, , • Sen A)ly accept the necessity of teaching the Botans a lesson of humanity, he sjieedily saw the way to the pocsible execution of a series of bold enterprises, which, in his belief, would lead to results of the highest advantage to Japan, and which, if successfiil, would certainly distinguish his administration of the Foreign Department in a way that would make his name forever eminent in his country's annals. He satisfied himself by tolerably close examination that the Japanese had at one time not only held possession of all the blands lying east of Formosa, but bad also occupied and controlled the best part of Formosa itself. The historical question is, of coutho, one that can be absolutely determined only by a more thorough acquaintance with Asiatic records than foreigners have yet gained. There is no doubt that the Japanese were great explorers and colonizers in ancient days. Tliere are abundant traces of their settlements even as far south as the Philippines, where their descendants still continue to live. The outlying islands about Formosa are strictly Japanese in eveiy respect. That great niunbers of these peojile inhabited Fonnoea two and three centimes ago is well attested. The chronicles of the Jesuits show that the early Duteh settlements were established under permission' from the Japan- ete authorities who held the Western shores, and that tributes were sent from Holland to the 8iogun at Yedo for the privileges granted by his officials. Soyezima, and those who adopted his views, maintained that in the begin- ning of the sixteenth century, the Japanese were in dominant force there, and that the gradual re-occupation of the island would be nothing but the resumption of a temporarily alienated territory.* They held that the * Sre Appendix, C. 12 NEGOCTATIONS W PEKING. March, establishment of it tniBtworthy and reBponeilile Power on tho oaatern coast would Iw ati obvioiifl benefit to the world iit large, and that the siiliBtitii- tion of Jit[iiuiCHC control for the bavb.iroufi misrule of the rude tiibcB would bo univoi'fiaily welcomeil. By their own in-ocesees of reasoning they anived at the same concliwious as thoee of Admiral Boll — namely, tliat there coidd lie no security without the existence of a recognized autliorlty along the shores. The scheme was undoubtedly a vast one, esi>ecially when considered in conneetiou with other and kindred projects which need not here Ixs de- tailed, since Bnl)sequent events rendered tlieir execution inmecessary. It natunxlly met with a great deal of ojiixwition, and the majority of the iuUisers of the government shrank from enga^ng in an imdertakiug entaimig such heavy expense, and ])romi8ing, at least for a long time to come, such inade- quate i-ccomjiense. But Soyezuna was a man of unusual energj' and re- solution, and his influence was paramomit. The armngemeuts for executing the plan steadily progressed. In the Spring of 1873, -while still holding the oflice of Foreign Minister, he went as Ambassador to Peking chiefly to lay his designs before the Cliinese government, and to obtain their views upon that and other proposed Jai>anesc projects. His public diplomatic succeascH during this mission are niatteis of common notoriety. It was, in fact, through him that the long unsettled question of Imjierial audiences was brought to a jirompt solution. His success in the more private negotia- tions, hitherto uurevealed, was not less complete, from his tiwn jioint of view, bnt it was afterward geuci-ally admitted that altliuuyh he obtained a dis- tinct declaration from the Chinese of their in-esiwnsibility ibr the acts of the savages, and of their aapiicscence in the right of Jajijui to send a mission to regulate the afiivir independently, he was unfortunate in not rw^uiring fium the ovaFive and crafty officials a fonnid expression of this ai'owal, in writuig. The absence of documentarj- evidence in these particulars was at a later date treachemusly turned to the disadvantage of Jajian, and it was only by the 1873. SHU'.WitEGKED JAPANESE. 13 exereiso of great limmOBH and sjniit tliat the Chiiieae were iiltiiiiately eoni- jffillod to abide by the language they had used in the^e early diuciiflsioua.'^ The osplaiintion i>f the omission to Becui-o a iieniiaueTit i-ecord of their declarations is simple. The fact of their neither exeitising nor clainiuig control over the savage region was so conunonly rorognized tliat nothing beyond a verltal allusion to it was regarded as essential. The officiid chart published by the Chinese govemmont defines the district under their jurisdiction as "Imunded byiuoutaiiis in tlio rear" — the t*ritory of the aborigines being thus excluded. All iiupiiries by persons intcrcstcii in lui explaniition of the question liad led to the s;Lnie conclusions. Mr. Biirlingame, while investigating the " Rover " affair, had discovered that the "savages were not Chinese, but outlaws of another TlIco, who fn>ni time " immeuiurial liiul been a sort of wrecking banditti." To demand a written acknowledgment of what was accepted us an esfciblished tnith aiiiHrared both unncccsMiiry and injudicious; and it has since been i>laced beyond reasonable doubt that the introduction of this issue as a disturbing element in later neguciations Wiis a foreign inspiration, and was suggested by dis- ingenuous, and, as the event provetl, imskillul advisers of the Cbincso councillors. During the residence of the Embassy in Poking, a second Formosan outrage was reiiortcd, which, although less flagiant in cliaractcr, touched the Japanese even more nearly than the first, the victuns in this case Wing inliabilaiitf^ of ouf of the pniici|uil pr.pviiin's in lli^ isl;ui.l -.f Kin Sin. A small vessel fnmi thi' village of Kiisiwiiwnm, in rirhm, **,i- i.n.k.d ujion the south-eastcm coast, and the crew, four ill iminln r, vvi^' slriinu'd and pluudered iumiydiately iiikju kinding. Their Hvw wtms B[iinul, but tbi- incident naturally added to the dot^nniimtion of the ^rtvornniviit i i iit^- ecute the demands for satisfnction. After Soyeziiiia's roturu to Toldu, thif movt'nit'nt wiit L 14 A CHECK. Oct. possible vigor, and in the course of a few months everything would have been prepared for a combination of enterprises which, whatever their conse- quences; would have attracted a far greater attention and a more vivid interest than any previous Eastern events of modern times. But the return of the Embassy, under Iwakura, which had been travelling for upwards of a year in America and Europe, changed in a few weeks the entire aspect of affairs. In what precise manner the second Minister of the Crown suc- ceeded in overthrowing the elaborate projects which had been matured during his absence it is not necessary here to inquire. He came With the prestige of an extensive foreign experience, and his rank and official position enabled him to interpose obstacles which could not be surmounted. Many of the principal Ministers resigned, Soyezima at their head. A new Cab- inet was formed, and for a time nothing more was heard of the plans for the chastisement or subjugation of the Formosa marauders. W CHAPTEK III. SECREr PREPARATIONS — ^NECESSITY FOR CONCEALMENT — FIRST OPINIONS OF THE U. S. MINISTER — THE EXPEDITION ORGANIZED — ^AMERICAN ASSISTANTS — ^DEPARTURE FROM TOKIO — ^UNEXPECTED REMONSTRANCE OF MR. BINGHAM — ^DERANGEMF^T OF PLANS — ^RESOLUTE ATTITUDE OF JAPANESE OFFICIALS — ^THE PIONEER SHIP FROM NAGASAKI — ^DANGERS OF THE VOYAGE— OP- POSITION OF FOREIGN DIPLOMATISTS. It was not publicly kaown until the spring of 1874 that the part of the project which concerned the calling of the murderers of the Miyako islanders to account was never abandoned. The preparations, in fact, con- tinued without interruption, thmigh perhaps not so rapidly as before. They were carried. on with great secrecy, partly for reasons of domestic policy, but chiefly from apprehensions of interference by representatives of foreign Governments. It was not supposed that this interference would neces- sarily be hostile, but the experience of the past few years had. taught the Japanese in many mortifying ways that no important step could ever be attempted by them without receiving such criticism and unasked for coun- sel-^ften well intended, but almost invariably offensive and generally mis- chievous — as to hamper and trammel their most earnest efforts. To a care- less observer, nothing could be more amusing than the constant disposition of the foreign diplomatic corps to exercise a sygtem of control over tha movements of the government ; to the Japanese themselves it is a constant giief and humiliation. And it has now become an accepted conviction that if any great work is to be accomplished, and effectively accomplished, by the administration, it can be done only by withholding all information 16 AMERICAN ASSISTANTS. Makoii, regnrtliug it until the last moment. Thus it wt\8 with the present exi)edition. No ibar wa« entertained as to the miivei*sal approval of the project. It was one which concerned not only Jai)an, but the whole maritime world as well. In the broadest sense, its success would ensure relief from dangera which had beset commerce for a score of years. Even in the naiTowest, it could not be logically dig- • approved. The right of a government to take all necessary measures for the protection of its subjeects could never be disputed. The Americans , hail undertaken the same thing, in the same re<^on, by two different pro- cesses — ^first violently and aftenvard pacifically. The Ja]>anese i)lan pro- ])osed simply a reversal of this order of proceeding. That it could by any cluuice 1x5 op])oscd never entered their calcidatious. But their weU groimded dread of foreign inetldling kept them from betmying their pur- lK>se, even to their own officials, l)eyond the circle of those who were necessarily engaged in the preliminary arrangements. It was, however, found desirable to make one partial exception. For- eign assistance was recpiisite to a certain extent. That of .General Le Gendre, who was more completely master of the situation in Foiinosa than any other individual, was already secured. Possibly out of deference to his incKnations, i>ossibly from a feeling tliat the United Stiites, npt forget- ful of the "Rover*' and "Hartford" affiiirs, would kx)k \ai\\ particularly sympathetic inteixjst upon the movement, it was decided that Ameriams should be selected for certtiin i)ositions of trust and resix)nsible agency. Lieutenant Commander Douglas Cassel, of the United States' Navy, was invited to a confidential post and offered the rank of Commodore in the Japanese service. Lieutenant James R. Wasson, fonnely of the United States* Engineei^, who had been for some years attached to the Yezo Colonization Deimrtment, was engaged to sui)erintend the construction of field works, should such become necessary at any time; and was appointed a colonel in the Jajmnese army. The first named gentleman being on \«14, A.PPBOVAL OF THE U. 8. MINISTER. active dsxty at Yokohama it was necessary to requtet^Naw D^ ' «.t -WadMngton to' allow him leave of alMence; In order to obtauT'**"'*"* opeTa^on of the United States' Envoy in. Japan, certain prelimina ^ ^ taalB of the plan were laid before him, together with a statement of the "^ • ift Which Idefutenant Commander Cassel would be expected to en ** TSlinisteT consented to subBcribe to a telegram, which was immediate] Waaliii^n* declaring briefly that, in his opinion, the transfer of would be beneficial to both nationfr-the United States and Japan t" j^gp^nse was a prompt acquiescence in the desire of the ToMo ai^ • ^ The expedition was duly organized with Okuma Sigenobn nf ♦!, ^ °" ** ., u* * X • • ^ s^wwu, ot the Imperial Council, as chief commissioner; General Le QendrA «- u- 1 a • * i-i. TIT Tk _x ""^ associate • General Saigo of the War Department, as commissioner and commander ' the forces, and Messrs. Cassel and Wasson as foreign assistants. ^' This was in March, 1874, about one month tefore the date originall fixed for the departure of the expedition. The remamder of the time ^ occupied in adjusting such details as were necessary to the complete prepIT tion of a project of this mr.gnitade. Nmnerous ships had been engaged, ^ of them belonging to the government, but some of the largest chartered ftom foreignere. For the transportation of some thousands of troops, mor apacious vessels than any owned by the Japanese were desirable A^ . other* the British steamship "Yorkshire" and the Pacific Mail 'steai^^ "New York" wer. secm^. There was always a sort of vague apnrehJ the "Yorkshire though no one could foresee upon what grexmds it could possibly be based, and for this reason no very positive J n. , v.- Tj X • , ^ positive rehance was placed upon ti«t ship But m regard to the "New York" no such idea was enterlamed. Her great size and abundant accommodations made her of the extremest miportance to the convenience of the Japanese and even to the „^ of the expedition. It would have been no serious matter to preceed -.-w„«^ '™™ lae otaer of arroage- W FOREIGN mSBEPBESENTATlONS. April, ments, but,' once engaged- and depended upon, she became almost indis- . penaable. As to any question of her not being permitted to fulfil her contract, nobody dreamed of such a thing. The United States* Mininter was the only person who could interrupt her progress, and he had been fully informed of the expedition. Moreover, his views iipon the subject of the right of Japan to independent action, unmolested by foreign interference of any description, were sufficienly notorious. From the fiist moment of his arrival in the country, six months before, his course had been distinguished by one broad and general principle which he lost few opportunities of declaring with much earnestness — ^that of protection and encouragement to Japan in resist- ing the endeavors of other representatives from abroad to guide or fetter the free couxbc of her government The first ships of the expedition sailed during the second week in April, from Sinagawa, a port on the bay of Yedo, about five miles from the capital. By this time rumors of the movement were circulating in Yokohama, and the purposes of the administration were discussed with the airy and ignorant audacity which always distinguishes the tone of that lively little community when dealing with Japanese topics. It is the rule of the majority of the Yokohama populace and press to assail every action which the, government may undertake, either with clumsy ridicule or coarse abuse. Both methods were applied in the present instonce. Nothing whatever was accurately known of the intentions of the authorities, but the wildest fictions were invented or assumed, and put forward with a reckless dis- regard of honesty and decency which is common enough there under simi- lar circumstances, but which is probably equalled in no other spot upon the face of the earth. In this case the contagion rose to a somewhat higher level than usual. The Russian Charge d'Affaires published a proclamation forbidding Bussiah ships and subjects to participate in the expedition. As there were no Bussian ships at Yokohama, and only about six llussian sub- j^ts in all Japan, the proclamation was looked upon as coming within the 20 OBSTACLES AT NAGASAKI. Apr. 26, ship to proceed to Nagasaki to await further instructions. Nagasaki, al- though the rendezvous for a- great part of the fleet, was a point entirely ren^ote from that to which the "Hokai Maru" was destined, and the change involved not only the annoyance of delay and the material con- sideration of increased expense, hut also the absolute derangement of plans which had been long settled, and upon which the whole of the early operations of the enterprise were to turn. But the orders of the Prime Minister could not be disregarde«l, and the ship arrived at Nagasaki on the 25th of the month. Here it was soon evident that serious difficulties had arisen, and that others, possibly more awkward, were likely to follow. Within twenty-four hours it became known to the conmiissioners that General LeGtendre had also received a letter of protest from Mr. Bingham, and that secret orders had been sent to the agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to delay or altogether obstruct the departure of the " New York." This last impedi- ment, under the circumstances, was a real calamity. The possibility of difficulties in the case of the "Yorkshire " had been foreseen, and affiiirs had been so arranged that her aid could be relinquished without serious embarrassment, but no shadow of amdety had been felt in regard to the ** New York." And now it turned out that the ^Torkshire " would only be forbidden to touch at any of the open Chinese ports — ^which, as it happened, had never been contemplated — ^while the further progress of the American^ vessel was absolutely prohibited. The worst of the business was that the agent had been instnicted to withhold all information as to the cause of his action. It was impossible to discover by what means the Company's servants had been wrought upon to the extent of persuading them to violate their contract, and to the question whether it was intended to prevent the voyage entirely, or only to check it for a while, no satisfactory answer could be obtained. The mystery and obscurity of the proceeding were its woret features. The Japanese officials felt that there wasn othing dignified V 1874. VEGIBIVE OFFICIAL ACTION. 21 in the oppoffltion thus exhibited, and did not hemtate to 'stigmatize it as a tranBactioD in which low cunning hatl been arrayed against them instead of open and honoiahle antagonism. Although they were in the dark as to the particular influences at work, it was not very difficult to conjecture whence the mischievous interference came. It would be useless to conceal that they weri greatly disturbed and harassed. They were not without mis- fortunes of their own. The " Hokni Mam," which -was one of their finest ships, had met with a serious accident, and, having suffered from severe weather on her way from Sinagawa, lay disaUed and temporarily useless in the harhor of Nag,i8aki. They were, therefore, all the more dependent upon the "New York." Tioops, stores, supplies of every kind were waiting to be transferred to her, but, in the uncertcunty of the prospect, it was use- less to go on with the .work. The whole course of the expedition was stopped and tlie action of its leaders i)aralyzed. Meanwhile the time as- signed for the performance of the special labors assigned to Messrs- Cassel and Waseon was passing away. The situation was extremely critical, aod the secret machinations, in Tokio had already produced iujurious ofTects that for a time seemed almost irreparable; Fortunately for the national credit, the officials chared with the condnct of the enterprise were men of much iirmnoss and resolution, and wore not to be lightly turned from their convictions of duty. The Americans were united in declaring that nothing lees than the most dhect and positive orders of their own government should induce them to withdraw. They were not at all disposed to allow their good faith to bo trifled away by a pettijant interposition which commanded neither their sympathy nor re- spect. It was speedily arranged that Messrs. Cossel and Waeson should proceed without delay to the execution of their tasks by such con- veyance as cotdd be hastily secured. A Japanese ve38el-of-\var was first selected, but t^ was found to he unsuitable. A small chartered steam- ship was afterward chosen as the best for the purpose that could be ob- ^ 22 DANGERS OF THE FIRST VOTAOE. apb. 27, tained, although wretchedly inadequate in every essential requisite. On board this craft, already overloaded with stores, the necessaiy troops wer^rowded in haste, and the first real advance was made from Nagasaki on the night of the 27th. - It is not, perhaps, necessary to desciibe the tormenting discomforts and the dangers of the early part of that voyage, but they may ^ least be touched upon, if only to show to what extremities of hardship men may be brought under the necessity of fulfilling their obligations in ^ite of vexatious and dispiriting obstacles. More than two hundred and fifty person, were put on board a vessel which, under the most favorable circimistancess could not properly accommodate one hundred. She waa already heavily liiden with stores and munitions, and her condition was not such as i» warrant even the ordinary risks of an ocean passage. The mere saiytary dangers of sailing thus overcrowded into an unwholesome climate were by no means inconsiderable, especially in view of the careless and disease-inviting habits of the Japanese on shipboard. But there was worse to be apprehended. Speaking without the slightest purpose of exaggeration, and conscious of an habitual inclination to under^xte rather than fully recognize the chances of personal peril, I say that on more than one occasion these two hundred and fifty men stood, probably without consciousness of their actual situation, trembling upon the brink of eternity. And it is fatally certain that nothing but the most favoring weather — ^it was almost unchangingly mild and fair from Nagasaki to Amoy — ^prevented a catastrophe which, let us hope, would have brought something like serious reflection to the minds of those whose rash and selfish eagerness to interfere in a buidness which in no wise concerned them would have been the chief occasion of the disaster. Mr. Bingham's own views of his relations to the initiatory steps of the expedition were communicated to the State Department at Washington, and have since been imparted to the world. It is desirable to set forth the facts as they were understood and represented at the time by the \. 34 VAIN EFFORTS AT INTIMIDATION. Apbil. people, was oommitting an act of war against China. Upon the mass of argument brought forward to sustain this position and to intimidate the Japanese by stigmatizing them as wanton -violators of the public law of nations it would now be suj^rflous to dwell. With the admission of the Chinese government — ^whioh though long deferred was conclubive and un- ^ conditional enough when it came — that Japan was fully and honorably justified in her course, all this ponderous and elaborate structure of mis- representation melted like the baseless fabric of a vision. It never fulfilled its intended purpose of terrifying the government from the fulfilment of thdb: designs; but it was productive of incalculable embarrassments, and often threatened to overthrow the most substantial results of the enter- prise. It was my good, fortune, personally, to be situated at a distance from the scene of these diplomatic i^itrigues, and to take part in ex- periences of more active interest, and, I regret to say, of greater novelty than the attei^pts of Western Ministers to shape the course of Japanese policy in conformity with their selfish will or frivolous caprice. W CHAPTER IV. AMOY — ^NKW Oi3STACLES— DEFECTION OF AN ENGLISH AGENT — CONSULAR AU- SXXJBACY — OPINIONS OF U. S. OFFICIALS — ^VOYAGE ACROSS FORMOSA STRAIT . — ^THE "YUKOMARU" ANCHORED IN LUNGKIAO BAY. The " Yuko Mam " entered the harbor of Amoy on the morning of May 3d. Immediately upon landing, the officers attached to this part of the ex- pedition discovered that new difficulties had fallen in their way, all of which were easily traced to the delays occasioned by foreign interposition m Tokio. The active opponents were now the English officials in China, and especially the Consul at Amoy. They would, however, have been in no position to interfere but for the previous interruptions at Sinagawa and Nagasaki. The services of an English physician, long familiar with the southern districts of Formosa, and acquainted, to a certain extent, with the dialects of the various tribes, had been engaged, and he had been instructed to hold himself in readiness by the 15th of April. Directions had been sent for the purchase of cattle, horses and small boats, all of which had been duly carried out at the appointed time. But the 16th had passed without even the departure from Japan of the ship des- tined for Amoy. By this time communications had been exchanged between the foreign representatives at ToHo and Peking, and the most distorted and unwarranted impressions forced upon the authorities of the Chinese capital. What particular demands these latter may have made upon the English Minister cannot be known with certainty ; but the agent of the Japanese at Amoy presently received notifications from his Consul which induced him to suddenly abandon his share in the undertaking and 26 ENGLISH ANTAGONISM: May 3, sail for home in great haste. That gross misrepresentations had been made in some quarter was evident from the fact that among the excuses which he leffc behind him was a bald statement that Japan had declared war against China — an impudent assumption which assuredly could not have originated with himself, and which, from its enormity, must un- doubtedly have proceeded from some person whose station would be sup- . posed to protect him from the consequences of so outrageous a fabrication. While the English in Amoy believed or affected to believe it, the Chinese evidently did not, or they would have taken measures to institute inquiry during the two days that the "Yuko Maru" lay in the harbor. They did nothing of the sort. The Japanese officers were in free communication with the native authorities, and the soldiers wandered about on shore and though the labyrinth of unwholesome streets without the shadow of a suggestion that their presence was unwelcome. It was frequently hinted by English residents that the Chinese were in a state of great irritation, and even that they were preparing to send a fleet to Formosa to put a stop to the whole proceeding, but, coming from so untrustworthy a source, liie rumors were not thought worthy of consideration. But the effect upon the only individual with whom the Japanese were concerned was only too plain. He had retired in haste, ordered the sale of all the cattle and mate- rials, and left no suggestions by which the inconveniences arising from his defection could be remedied. This, I suppose, may be taken as a fair in- stance of the extraordinary power held over British subjects in the East by their diplomatic and consular officers. It is a power which those who have not witnessed its application, upon the spot, can with difficulty understand, aud to the arbitary exercise of which it seems incredible that there can be •** The fact of war having been declared shows me that I am e::pec»ec[ to espouse tlie cause of Japan versus China" "I am ah'eady suspected and hate had semi-official warning to be careful. This I cannot disregard."— F«/rflcl from Leller of P. Manson Apr, 19. 1874. The only commentary that these stutements require is that war not only had not then been declared or even contemplated, but, in point of fact, was never declared. vs\^ SUPPORT BY U. 8. OFFIGIALS. 27 «ac\i^xiq>x€«tiomng submission a« generally prevails. And, singularly enough, t\ie 'BiTigU^^ are, as a class, unaware that they exist here under a species i peU.y despotisni. They would laugh at the idea if it were presented to tYiem iti this straight-foTward shape, but no fact is tetter established in the nnBdB of disinterested observers than that in case of a conflict of opinion \ atween the individual British resident and liis official superior, the former . ^^ually without a will or a power of action of his own. A second exam- le of this truth was supplied during the brief stay of the '' Yuko Mara " t Amoy. A pilot named Patterson expressed much eagerness to accom- pany the ship, in the double capacity of guide to the various harbors and interpreter ; but before his wishes had been taken into consideration, by the Japanese, he received warning from the Consul that if he persisted in bis application, he should be punished by imprisonment for two years. There was no question of criminal d^QUsation or trial, but a simple auto- cratic decree, with peremptory threats of heavy peralty in case of diso- bedience. It was gratifying to observe that all these efforts at interruption or in- timidation had less than a feather's weight with the leaders of this branch of the enterprise. As speed was now a matter of moment, the idea of obijaini^g horses and cattle was set aside until a more convenient time. The shallow Chinese boat?, required for landing in Formosa, were hastily houo'ht, and with the assistance of a mandaim, attached to the U. 8. Con- sulate, ioterpretera were secured. It may be well to place on record the fact that the officers of the United States— regularly and casually stationed at Amoy— were at this time as far as possible from sharing the unreasoning hostility displayed by representatives of other nations. They had yet received no instructions to assume an inimical attitude, and were free to express their own convictions as to the purposes of the expedition. The Consul, Mr. J. J. Henderson, was sufficiently well acquainted with the gubiect to know that the course of the Japanese was one which, if -successful, 28 FIRST VIEW OF FORMOSA. May 6, must be for the advantage of the whole maritime world, and was entirely open in the expression of this conviction. Holding the opinions that he unhesitatingly avowed, the canses of his action in arresting General Le Gendre, at a later date, are as difficult of comprehension as any other part of that extraordinary proceeding. The officers of the U- S. Steamship *' Monocacy " were of course familiar with what Americans had undergone at the hands of the Formosa aborigines, and their sympathies were uncon- cealed. Personally, their kindness and consideration toward members of the party were in the highest degree memorable and gratifying. The " Yuko Maru ' ' arrived at Amoy on the morning of the 3d. On the evening of the 5th she was ready for the new and final departure. At half past six P. M. she sailed for her destination. The passage across Formosa Strait was made in the night. The weather, which had appeared threatening at Amoy, was fortunately fine again, and although the dreary discomforts of the renewed voyage were not less than those of the journey from Nagasaki, there was a sense of security which the treacherous reputa- tion of tins channel does not always waflrrant. The shores of Formosa were indistinctly seen throughout the greater part of the day. The lofty mountains of the interior were at times vicible, but were mostly enfolded by thick mists. The sun had set before the ship had reached the place at which the first communications were to be opened \vith the inhabitatits. At nine o'clock she lentered Liangkiau Bay, and was occupied for an hour in finding a suitable anchorage. At ten she lay tranquilly oflf the shore of a region which, though afterward found to be inhabited by people of widely different character from the abori^es, was then, in the minds of the visitors, so far identified with the savage district as to make them all extremely observant and alert. Nothing like active hostility was really apprehended at this point, but the night was dark, and they were in strange waters under strango circumstMces. Guards were therefore posted in the gangways, and other judicious precautions were taken. There were signs 1874 LIANOKIAO BAY. 29 of bustle and watchfulness on the shore, which was apparently about a mile distant. Bright lights moved from place to place, and the indications of activity were greater than seemed n:i.tural at such an hour in villages of the kind which were known to exist in this locality. There was little sleep on board the " Yuko Maru " during the night, for the first clear view of the surrounding country had yet to be taken, and most of the soldiers were too eager for a glimpse of their new region of adventure, as well as for the devel- opments of the following day, to be satisfied with the inactivity of repose. Only the old campaigners turned to rest with their usual tranquillity. The novices passed the hoturs in lively debate, of which the romance of wild conjecture and audacious prophecy was the guiding inspiration. mmm CHAPTER V. FIBST CJOMMTJNICATION WITH THE SHORE — ^THE INTBBPBETEB JOHNSON — ^UANG- KIAO BAY— INTEBVIBW WITH NATIVE VUJlAGEBS — ^THEIR APPBABANCB AND DEBISANOB — EFFECTS OF BBTEL-NTJT CHEWING — ANNOUNCEMENT OF JAPAN- ESE INTENTIONS. Before smirise <5n the moTDing of the 7th, one of the Chinese interpreterB engaged at Amoy went on shore, in accordance with instructions prepared in Tokio, to seek certain natives of some standing among their fellow- vfllagers and bring them on board the ship for a conference. In this, as in other minute details, the formal directions issued by the Japanese govern- ment were of the most explicit character, and were so arranged as to regulate, at this stage of proceedings, every successive step in the move- ment with scrupulous discretion. This is important to be remembered, as the gradual course of affairs will show with what caution it was determmed to avoid very appearance of aggression, except as a last resource. The interpreter charged with this preliminary mission was the least like his countrymen of «ny native of China it had ever been my fortune to encounter. In the first place, he had no^tail — a marvellous circumstance for one of his race living in his own land, however trivial it may seem to the Western mind. In the next, he had learned to completely free himself from the timidity of his nation,' having travelled over nearly all the world, and passed many years in the United States, of which he was a naturalized oitizen, and where he had served with a New Jersey regiment during the war. He spoke English with perfect ease and tolerable precision, and, having often visited Fonnosa, was on good terms with the inhabitants of 1874. A NATIVE DEPUTATION. 31 many places included in the plan of Japanese opeiations. He looked upon the people of this particular locality as ancient friends and allies. While he was absent, there was little to be done except to observe, somewhat superficially of course, the general surroundings of our position. Liangkiao Bay is a mere indentation in the coast, of very little value as a harbor, and affording complete protection only from north-east, east and south-east winds. To the west and north it is entirely open. It is situated in latitude 22 degrees 6 minutes N. and longitude 120 degrees 42 minutes W., and is thus accmutely set down upon the most recent charts. The mouths of two small rivers were just discernible, upon ;the beach, from the ship's deck. Tie line of the shore is low and sandy for a few miles, and then rises in lofty bluffs, to the north and south. The country hereabout had certainljL little appearance of fertility, although evidently cultivated with considerable care. Even near the coast, the ground is extremely irregular and the whole valley, which is of limited extent, is closely encircled by mountains some thousands of feet in height. These are covered with vegeta- tion, though not apparently of a luxuriant or even a healthy growth. Soon after six o'clock, the interpreter— whose native name having been once heard and not admired was suffered to lie in obscurity, and who had fortunately adopted, with his other Republican^ privileges, the Anglo Saxon surname of Johnson— returned with the persons for whom he had been sent. These were sons and near relations of the "head man " of the village of Sialiao, who had served General Le Gendre as guides at the time of his visit in 1872. They were at ooce received by Lieut. Commander Cassel, between whom and the oldest of their number, named Miya, a con- versation of much interest ensued. The information to be conveyed to these men had been preconcerted in Tokio, and was imparted as foUows. They were told that the govenmient of Japan had determined to send an expedition to aboriginal Formosa, to punish the Botans for the murder of Japanese subjects in December, 1871 ; that the Sovereign of S2 THE FIRST ALLIANCE. May 7, that Empire was at first greatly incensed at the people of the Liangkiao valley for not having undertaken to chastise the offenders in the same manner as, in conformity with the agreement entered into with the U. 8. Consul in 1867, they would have dealt with them if they had molested Americans ; that later investigations had shown that the Sialiao people had really not been indifferent to the fate of the shipwrecked Riu Kiuans, but had aided General Le Qendre in his inquiries concerning their fate, in return for which, orders had been given to protect them from all annoy- ances that they might apprehend in consequence of the presence of a foreign force ; that twenty-five thousand soldiers were ready to start for Formosa at the shortest notice, should they ever be needed, but that, if trustworthy assurance of the co-operation of the Sialiao communities and the tribes of Tokitok could be obtained, only the advance body^ a few tiiousand in number, would be brought. The native deputation, through Miya, promptly answered that they were ready to afford all the assistance in their power, and to .give- the troops every facility for landing and en- camping. They could not speak for the savage tribes, in regard to which they had no new intelligence to give, except that of the recent death of Tokitok and the succession of his eldest son. These subjects having been vdisposedof for the moment, an offer was made to engage the services of Miya and one of his companions, as mediums of communication between the Japanese and their own people at the outset, and, subsequently, the inhabitants of Southern Formosa in general^ The proposal was readily accepted, and the interview terminated as satisfactorily as could be desired. It could hardly be otherwise to the islanders, for the sum offered them was not only libernl, but was probably munificent beyond their largest expectations. It was even a question whether such excessively open- handed treatment might not prove an inconvenient precedent, although the exact terms had been laid down by the authorities in Japan. Before returning to the land, the visitors wandered for a while about 1874. BETEL NUT. 33 the ship, curiously examining its contents and appointments, which tliey were of courao permitted to do as freely as they wished. They, also, were subjected to some scrutiny, but there Wiis little about them to reward prolonged attention, although they were of the family of the chief of the village. Their dress was precisely like that of the lower classes of Amoy — a loose jacket, and wide breeches reaching a. little below the kuec. They woTO light turbans twisted about their heads, and their' only ornaments were i-ed cords woimd about their long tails, with here and therc a bright coin braided in, and rude silver bracelets fastened about the wrists. Though not pirticularlv voluble, their mouths were never inacti>^c. T he betel n ut f urnished r;f^nfiniml ^ />n^^^v^f;on for thRir tn(>th and lips. Their cheeks were distended to an extent whioh th? most inordinate chewer of tobacco could n'ot rival, by missej of irel pulp, from which streams of stained saliva overflowed the gums, discoloring the whole interior of the mouth with an unwholesome pinkish hue. The nuts were sometimes so large as to i)ro- tuide between the teeth, producing an effe-jt hdf gl\astly, half grotesque, and shedding ruddy rivulets upon tho cheeks and chin. Except in the persistent indulgence in this habit, there was little to distinguish these men from the Chinese of Amoy. Even their dialect Wtvs not materially different. They hid a sort of openness and independence of bearing which woidd not be found in a crowded Chinese city ; which is doubtless attribu- table to th«ir freedom from oppressive authority tod their self-reliant ways of life. The countenance of the oldest of the i>arty, Miya, indicated much moi-e ^'igor of character than that of any of his fellows. His young cousin, a lad of apparently twenty 'years, was singidarly gifted with good looks, for one of his race. He was tall and slender, with remarkably deliciite featui-es, and an expression which would have been <5xtremely winning and agreeable but for the disfiguring tint about his Y\\m, Having sufficiently gratified their instincts of observation, these mag- nates of Sialiao re-embarked to announce, at their homes, and prejiare for, 1 ™T ^ - ^"^^ - - ^ ^— 84 THE QUESTION Of DI8CITLINE. May 7. an impending visit from the new comers. It was interesting to observe that, from this moment, the behavior of the Japanese troops underwent a significant change in one important particular. During the voyage they had given little indication of a habit of strict submission to military author- ity. They had carelessly disposed themselves about the ship in the manner that best suited their convenience, and had apparently neither sought nor received special instructions as to their general line of conduct. At Amoy they had manifested an imcontrollable impatience to get on shore, and no obstacle was put in the way of their desire. All this had given rise-to. suspicions, on the part of some who were inexperienced in Japanese idiosyn- cracies, that the i)rinciple of discipline was entirely excluded from their system. The fact is, that great laxity prevails at times when the perform- ance of actual duty is not required ; but when the occasion for serious service arises, the instinct of implicit obedience reasserts itself, without the necessity for any kind of admonition. On this occasion, the announcement that no landing in force cguld take place for a considerable time was re- ceived with as prefect content as it would have been by soldiers of Western nationalities. While engaged in important operations, the discipline of the Japanese was always found to be sufficieut. But in periods of inaction their restlessness would betray itself by unmistakeable signs, although it never, during this expedition, reached such a point as to require very positive demonstrations of authoritative displeasure. CHAPTER VI. A PARTY OF INSPECTION — THE VILLAGE OF SIALIAO AND ITS INHABITANTS — EXPLORATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD — GENERAL ASPECT OF THE LOCALITY .. — UNEXPECTED EJ-'FECT OF A WEDDING FESTIVAL. A-F eight o'clock, a few of the higher Japanese officers, with the American attaches, weufc on shore for the pni-pose of selecting a suitable site upon which to establish a camp for the expected force of three thousand men. It may be mentioned, as a further proof of the caution with which the Japanese pkns were arranged, that the instructions under which Lieut. Commander Cassel acted, required him to ascertain if any objection would be made to the landing, by authorities representing the Chinese govern- ment ; and, in case such objection were offered, to«abandon the position and proceed tx) a point some distance further south. Here, again, he was to make inquiries, and, in the event of a similar result, was once more to seek a remoter place of debarkation. If he should be still opposed, he was this time to effect a landing in spite of resistance, and by force, fchould that be necessary. This last designated spot being, beyond all question, outside of Chinese Jurisdiction, no. hesitation was felt as to or- dering decisive action. With regard to the other two— as some kind of claim, either genuin^ or assumed, might possibly be put forward, it was considered expedient and judicious to relinquish them, rather than risk the chances of futm*e complication. But no indisposition to receive the troops was shown, and the work went on according to the first intentions.* *" Should Cnptain Cassel find SUliao occupied by Chinese troops or shoOld his occupation 36 SIALIAO RESIDENCES. May 7, The boat containing the surveying party entered one of the little rivers, which is accessible only at high tidej its mouth being obstructed by a sand bar, and worked its way inland a few rods, to the village over which the father of Miya presides. The first to land was Major Fukusima, the Japanese officer in command of the sm ill body of marines attached to this I)art of .the expedition. The entire settlement was found to consist of about a dozen houses, the out\vard appearance of which was truly extra- ordinary in such a place. They are of one story, and neatly built of cemented stone and fine red brick. The roofs are of compact tiles, and the spaces upon the walls benccith the ridge-lines are decorated with sinljple bas-reliefs. The interiors are substantial and tolerably clean, and in every conceivable way superior to the quartera of the inliabitiuits of Chinese coast cities. There is not, for examjile, a dwelling house to be found in (i»ll Amoy that can be compared in architectural pretension, convenience, and tidiness, with those of the Formosan village of Sialiao. They are generally double edifices, two structm'cs of equal size, perhaps twenty-five feet square, standing one behind the jjthcr, partially separated by a court-yard of nearly the saone dimension^ but connected by naiTOw passages on each side. In the rear are out-houses, for cooking, etc. The floora of most of the main buildings, and of the yards, are paved with large square bricks or stones. Furniture is not profuse, but what there is of it is solid and serviceable. There are arm-chairs, especially, that would not discredit a New England farm house. Tables are abundant, but are less elaborate in form and ornamentation. The beds are genemlly mere shelves, set in recesses, though one of two are of quite a stately build. Many of the panels in the walls are embellished with rough Chinese designs, which show that, al- Uiereof be oppoaod by an^ ono cloarlj reprosontiiig tho constiliUed autlioritiea of Oiina, ho will not use force to remove tlieso obftructiotss but will proceed to anchorage No. 2. a fow inilos further south. Should he be prevented from hindinfj at anchoMge No. 2, then lie vill go to aiichoi|ig«t No. 3, where, with the aid of \\U guides, he will eflvit a lauding, by force if iioocBsary, and nmintiiin his position until the arrival of the Iligh Commissiorer. " — Ex'racl fnm LeUvr of Ohtma Sigenobti to Cen. Le Gendre. Apr. 13. 1874. 1874. NATIVE DRESS AND ADORNMENTS. 37 though the x>olitical authority of Chiua is in uo way recognized here, its limited artistic influences to some extent prevail. Against the back wall of the rear house of each establishment stands a Budist shrine, with the appropriate tablets and images. The rude weapons of the locality are conspicuously displayed : — old matchlock gims, in as good condition as such instnmients can be ; short swords in curious wooden scabbards, which are so constructed as to cover only one side of the blade, the other lying exposed 5 bows and iron-pointed arrows, and variously fashioned spears and lances. The prevalence of these weapons shows, if not a warlike disposition on the part of the inhabitants, a sense of the necessity for familiarity with their use. There was not a native that came in jsight during the whole of this first day who was not fully armed and ready for hostile action. In the enclosed spaces about the houses, pigs and chickens were gather- ed in gi-eat numbers. They ai*e regular articles of food, together with fish, rice, eggs, millet, barley and sweet potatoes. The few streets were principally in possession of droves of "water buffalos,*' small light-colored auimalB, with i-etreating horns, the })oint8 of which are in a direct line with their noses. These appear to be the most useful beasts of the neighborhood. They are employed for all sorts of draught, purposes, and are not unfrequently ridden as we ride horses. The edges of the streams were filled with ducks, which are valuable for the eggs that they supply. During this first brief visit to the houses of the chiefs, the populace clustered about in all available strength, inspecting and discussing the strangers with complete freedom from diffidence, and the easiest possible imconsciousness that their close companionship was not a boon. The costume of the better class of the men was tliat which I have described as belonging to Miya and his associates ; that of the inferiors was a waist and loin cloth of the most abbreviated fonn consistent with decency. The women were clad precisely like the ''head men, "almost all of them wearing a silver bracelet on each wrist. Their hair was braided into long 88 ASCENT OF KU SAN. May 7, tails, and wound about with white cords. In some instances it was fur- thermore adorned ¥rith artificial flowers, and two matrons from the moun- tains, each of whom, by-the-bye, had with her a really beautiful child, were distinguished by heavy gold ear-rings and other glittering trinkets. Few of these women were naturally disagreeable in appearance, and many would have been pleasing but for the ugly erubescence about their mouths. <]!hildren were plentiful — apparently too numerous for the supply of raiment on hand. The majority of them, up to the age of seven or eight years, had nothing on but dirt. In the whole villiige there were just two women of genuine Chinese aspect, with gum-stiffened and fantastically plaited hair, and stunted feet about four iribhes long. In order to obtain a favorable view of the valley, and to fix upon a proper catnping ground, it was thought desirable to ascend a small hill, some three hundred feet in height, close to the shore, and overlooking the entire neighborhood. The pathway to the foot of this elevation, the Chinese name of which is "Ku San," signifying Tortoise Hill, led through fields of barley and sweet potatoes, and touched upon t^o or three hamlets of greatly inferior quality to that at which we had landed. There were no brick houses to be seen amongst them, and the best of the dwellings were mud huts with coarsely thatched roofs. The whole surface of the plain, excepting where it was under rough cultivation, seemed sterile and sandy. Sage-brush was common enough, but hardly any other kind of shrubbery. Clusters of low palm-trees and of the pandanus, so thick as to form an almost impenetrable jmigle, were abundant. It was not difficult, while passing through them, to thoroughly understand the hopelessness of any effort at abrupt invasion like that attempted in the " Hartford " ex- pedition. Every rod of the tangled and winding foot-path afforded fresh opportunity for ambuscades that could not be approached without a per- fect knowledge of the country ; and even then could not be successfully assaulted by the methods usually at the command of invading .armies. 1874. A WEDDING FESTIVAL. 39 The passage up the hill-side was troublestime and fatiguing. The way was narrow and abrupt, through irregidar gullies and over sharp and broken masses of coralloid rock, and the heat was excessive. The Japanese officers, who still held to the fur-trimmed j.ickets of the uniform in which they had left Tokio, suffered extremely. The Americans, less heavily clad, were perhaps a degree more comfortable, but the diflference of a degree, under such oppressive conditions, was not distinctly appreciable. From the top of the hill, the entire Sialiao or Liangkiao vaJley, ap- parently about fifteen square miles in extent, was visible. It is surrounded by a range which avei-ages perhaps two thousand feet in height, and which resembles, though on a limited scale, the chain of mountains that enclosed Salt Lake valley, in Utah. * While we stood upon this summit, the report of a gun from below attra(5ted our attention. A procession of twenty or thirty men and women was seen entering the plain from an opening in the hills, all with weapons which glistened in the sunlight, and preceded by a leader bearing a red flag. Three other shots wefe fired in swift success- sion, and for a moment it seemed possible, to our inexperienced minds, that a deputation might have come in from the wild tribes, especially as a red flag was the signal of recognition agreed upon in the old convention with General Le Gcndre. But this prospect of diversion from the regular order of proceedings was set aside by the intelligence that the demonstration was nothing more than the ordinary accompaniment of marriage festivals, one of which was in progress at the moment. CHAPTER VIL THE HOSPITALITIES OF LIANGKLVO — A PIQ SACRIFICED — SHOCKS TO NATIVE DELICACY — X SIALIAO BANQUET — ^SECOND TOUR OF INVESTIGATION — ^PER- SONAL EXPERIENCES — A CONVOCATION OF INQUISITIVE FEMALES — ^\'1VACI0US BUT UNPRODUCTIVE COLLOQUIES. After returning to the village, where it was necessary to remain quiet (luring the heat of noon, a pro|K)sition was made by Miya to kill a i)ig. No- body wanted i)ig, and nobody had any sort of desire to^sec one killed, but, as the oflfer seemed to imply hospitality, we were disinclined to make objec- tions. It would have been a pity, all thought, to throw cold water upon the firet glow of native goodwill. It turned out, in the sequel, that wo need have given ourselves no concern on this point. Miya, though on kind- ness bent, had yet a frugal mind. A somewhat hesitating offer of pay- ment, when we left^ was accepted without any hesitation whatever. The pig was speared and slaughtcFed in full • view of the visitors, a. couple of chickens were arrowed out of existence, and prejiaratious set ui for a feast of generous magnitude. Evcrbody aroimd was invited, or invited himself, and a merry bustle of anticijiation spread over the scene, which might liavu touched the strangei-s more deeply than it did, if they had known that they themselves, and not the aj)i)arent hosts, were the resiionsible founders of the cntertauunent. Whilst the cooking progi-cRsed, a few c^the Ja^ianese subalterns, follow- ing the unconquerable instinct of their race, sought out tubs of water and, divesting themselves of the greater part of their clothing, proceeded to reft-esh themselves with an extemporized bath. Presently a])|)eaixjd an inter- 1874. NATIVE MODESTY ALARMED. 41 preter with a raessiige of moment from Master Miya. Ho aud his family were shocked at the personal exposure, and ho beggetl that the stTaugera would not continue a practice so repugnant to the feelings of the feminine half of his community. He coidd not see the necessity for ariy such opera- tion — ^from which darkness jof vision it might be iK)S8ifaie to trace a strwig ethnological bond between these j^eople of Sialiao and the Chinese. An average Chinaman, it has been said, can go from his cradle to the grave without knowing what a bath is, and never feeling that he has left mifid- fUled a single obligation of that attribute which is next to godliness. A Japanese can hardly live from sunrise to sunset ^dthout getting himself undei' hot or cold water. To some of us, the remonstrance of Miya seemed simply a piece of superb audacity. In view of the facts that nine tenths of his comiianions had only about six inches of covering upon their bodies, and tliat the women themselves were bare legged to a considerable altitude, it appeared, if in the remote East I may venture upon an apt and expres* sive idiom of the West, not yet adopted into refined vocabularies but employed with efFoot on this ^KJ&ision by the interpreter Johnson — that his "cheek" was capable of more than the accommodation of unlimited betel-nut* I should be sony to misconceive the motives of the son of Sia- liao'Ti " head man," but I am afraid I never shall be brought to believe that his complaint had any other basis than a desire to assert his dignity and the right of the firat families of Formosa to make a fuss at the earliest convenient opportunity. As there was, however, a dim chance that he might be sincere, he was given the benefit of the doubt and humAred ac- cordingly. Bathing was Biisi)eiided, and the ladies of the household cooked on without impediment. At noon the meal was served, and was duly dis]X)sed of by such as were hungry. I think I am bound to say tliat it was more heartily en- joyed by the native particiiiatoi-s than by those who paid for it. The pig and chickens had been hastily dressed and only partially cooked, according 42 CATAMARANS. May 7, to Western ideas of culinary completeness. The rice which accompanied them was, however, as palatable as need be, and with this our appetite was sufficiently satisfied, while the more imposing a ccessari es of the banquet were promptly, absorbed by those who were better accustomed to such dishes. A little later, a new tour of iuvestigation was undertaken with the object of examining more closely the places that had appeared, from the hill-top, eligible for camp sites. A couple of cattfioarans were engaged to take the party up the shallow river. As the world at large may not know what a ^^catamamn " is, I hasten to explain thar. it is a water con* veyance made of poles about twelve feet long, bound together by strings of bark into something like the shape of a shallow flat bottomed boat. There is no planking, and, of course, no attempt to keep the water out. It is propelled, like Chinese boats generally, by oars which are not pulled, but pushed, the rower standing with his face toward the head of the fraU craft. Upon these the Japanese and American officers were transported a quarter of a mile up stream, where they again landed to pursue their observations on foot. The water was deep at this point and the spot was shady. For my own part, I had no fa,nf!y for further violent exercise, and the op- portunity was tempting. It was not probable that the sensibilities of Miya's gentlewomen could be aflPecte.d at the distance of a quartf^r of ^ milft^ fh eol remained behind. 'As speedily as possible I was among the fifiheR ^ and was surprised to find the water almost uncomfortably warm, notwithstanding the near proximity to the mountain sources. I liaA hardly emerged when an irresistible drowsiness seized me, and I fell asleep half dressed and mih my feet in the stream. jL^^L^ I was awakened by a noisy plashing, and found myself partly sur- rounded by a semi-circle of inquisitive buffalos, which had stopped on their way 9CTQm the river to inspect the new animal that had come among them. Their heads were thrown up till the tips of their horns seemed to grow out of their backs, and Cheir noses were stretohed forward to thg, utmost limit. 1874. PERSONAL REMINIBCENGES. 43 They gazed with silent intensity until I suddenly started up, when they sn orted violently, turned about hj^ iF nn a piyftt^ and gallopped away with tails as rigid as bayonets. Then I was alone, my boatmen having roamed apart and left me tii-fc my ow n dftvipfta. Presently dogs came out of the jungle, and barked inhoKpitably, and refused to resigond to^ frieadly advances ^11 of which they took for signs of timidity and acted upon aggressively until they were met by a defiant gesture, when they, too, turned tail and fled with wolfish howls. After another brief term of solitude, the bushes parted on the opposite bank, and a woman ste pped fort h. There was a ford, a few rods above where I -sat, which she, dippingloffi^her trousers, began to cross. The water was not deep there, and she came jauntily on until l ^alf way ove r, when her eyes fell upon me. She was as much astonished as the cattle had been, and, her attention being turned from her properroote, she missed the bar in a moment, and slipped int o a depth which may or may not have been awkward to her, but certainly would have been to me under similar circumstances. I presume that, according to the social usages of the Liangkiao valley, the first requisite in exigencies of this kind is to keep the clothing dry. The result, here, was an abrupt departure from that lofty standard of delicacy which Miya's dainty anxieties upon the subject of Japanese bathing had implied. Of course, I laughed. Why should I not laugh ? But, as the young woman was not conscious of the causes of my mirth, she became irritated : — " She Iniinolicd on ice-bolt from lier sc^/rnftil e/e And Tftiiishrd awifb and statel/ from the »oene." But not for very long. There was evidently another village close at hand, and, in less than five minutes, she reappeared, clad, this time, in superabundant attire, — I su ptxjse by way of self applied toilet compensation Q\ to her accidentally wounded feelings. She adressed me in what was un- doubtedly very fluent Chinese, and I replied in the best English at m y command. She examined my coat and waistcoat, which lay on the raised 44 AN IMPROMPTU RECEPTION. ^ May 7. f part of the "catamaran," and, finding a quantity of IgogO-fioin in ono jHXjket, expi'essed a desire to posses hei-self of a specimen. She was judi- cious enough to select a small one, and I let her know that she could take it. Then she retired, le^wing behind her a profusion of thanks flavored with l)etcl-ifut juice. This incident proved the preliminary to an extensive reception which I was compelled to hold upon the bank/>f the Sialiao river. Straightway issued from the ^opgfi. a procession of women, various in age and qualit^all clearly bent upon the accumulation of silver. They showed no reticence ^A^/ in manifesting their wishes, and I did noj; feel it necessary to take a par* ticularly circuitou s method of refusing to comply. While they argued the matter, a second body of " interviewers '* came in sight. These were men, all bearin g bows and an'ows, swords and speai's. At tlmt moment it occun*ed to me that the heat was not so oppressive as it had been. I was at least sure tliat I should be more comfortable with the treasure laden waistcoat on ray back than lying at my side. By the time I was, ready to receive them, they were ranged closely aroimd, some twenty in number, and chattering in chorus like agitated magpies. ^ They ^vcre very good ^natured, and, one by one, offered their arms for inspection, asking to see mine as well ; but I had none to show them. We had a highly amicable confiuli^itifin for an hour, without theinteichangs^ of a single idea, at the end of which time I was summoned to the beach. Betiirning to the ship, « to i>as8 the last night on boanl, we found everything in a state of lively and not too orderly preparation for the general disembarkation of the next day. Until long after midnight,- the decks of the " Yuko Mara ' ' were more active than they had been at any time since the departure from Nagasaki. CHAPTER VIII. LANDING OK TB00P8 A.ND BTOBES — DKFICIENCIBS OF MIMTAKY SYSTEM — I INCIDENTS OL' DEB.VRKATIOX — DISl'DSITION Ob' TUB INHA1JITANT8 — FIRST PLANS FOK AN ENCAMPMENT — ^NATIVE LA1IORER8 EMPLOYED. Thii landing of the small body of marines and a i^rtion of the stores brought by the " Ynko Mam " commenced at a tolerably early hour on the morning of the 8th. This work was not accomplished with anything ap- proaching to order or regularity, for these qualities, although strikingly manifest among the Jaimnese in all that relates to the management of affairs according to their own traditional usages, are often lost sight of when they imdertake the employment of foreign methods. I can imagine a Jaimneso anny of the old school, before Western military science was introduced, to have been a model of promptness and cleanliness. At present, however, the troops are deficient in many conditions which we consider essential to success and distinction in arms. The events of the civil war of 1868 certainly proved that they possess almost an excess of the most im- })ortant of soldierly attributes — namely, j iersonal courage ; hut tho m^nnftr in whinh ftvptn this was di splayed wnj; fvnquently lunrfi dnj^hing and des])erate th an positiv e ly effectiv e. Of late yeara they have shown an excellent willingness to submit to the requirements of regular discipline, but they have never been able to accustom themselves to the lower detiiils of military / routin e. I suppose that the old idea still prevails to a considerable extent — ^that the soldier l)elongs to a superior class, and is not proi>erly liable to menial offices or the jiarticularly fatiguing labors of the field. It is almost humnmnsl y a^HvariH.n(^fi-ivj t h j) ur notions of the economies of war to see a 46 JAPANESE MILITAli Y METHODS. May 8, body of a hundred soldiers accompanied by nearly an equal number of "coolies *' to do the work of building shelter, cooking and a good part of the digging of trenches. But so it was here. The adoption of foreign military systems does not appear to have gone much beyond the actual use of wea- pon and the nm-nm^ wftving of the various branches of the seiTice. The management of the commifianat^is still in the native style, and transportation is c onduct ed-'Upon what I take to have l)cen the principles of the time of Taiko Sama, who imdertook the invasion of Corea in the sixteenth century In their way they are not ineffective, and in the matter of sup]»lietf, at least, there was always an abundance in Formosa, and at some times an almost^ wasteful profusion. The methods of conveyance were generally prompt* though somewhat rude and needlessly expensive in their execution. There can be no doubt that the quarter-maste r^s department was distinguished by a great deal of vigor and by excellent good sense ; but its administration was not exactly in harmony with the new ideas which have been to a great extent adopted in the management of the troops themselves. What the Japanese might or might not do if they attempted to carry through their operations entirely upon the ancient basis, it is impossible to say : but the partial infiiRJnn of the new customs, while it undoubtedly adds to their destructive Orf^paniH^g, contribu tea, thus far, very little to the convenience or ■ healthfulness of their armies. These results still i^at in the future. A more irregular disembarkation than that from the " Yuko Maru" was perhaps never witnessed. I look upon the selection of this spot upon the western coast for the base of the movement as another example of the cau- tion and prudence with which the details of the expedition were pre- arranged at Tokio. Here, the inhabitants were known to be, not precisjely friendly to strangers, but at least not positively hostile. They were not like- ly to oppose a landing in any violent way, whereas the people of the eastern side would probably have begun their part of the fighting at the water^ edge. The result of such an encounter, even when conducted with the 1874. LANDING OF TROOPS. 47 m advantage of tactical skill on the side of the iuvadersy was fisital in theoase of the ''Hartford " expedition. It would almost certainly have been so in this instance. I do not doubt that the Japanese would have striven man- fully, and it is quite possible that they might have continued the struggle until the last man could no longer lift a hand, for that was the way they fought in 1868, as plenty of witnesses can testify ; but the odds would have been against them^ and a repulse at the outset would have seriously dis* turbed the calculations of those whcjprojected the enterprise. By landing in the Liangkiao valley several points were gained. It is a score of miles beyond Pongli, the most southern place at which the Chinese make any attempt to exercise real authority, so no conflict* with the Chinese officials could reasonably be apprehended ; the chances were all in favor of an easy ana undisturbed transfer of men and i)rovisions from the ships, and ample time would be aiforded for the accumulation of a force the strength of which, being reported to the hostile tribes, might so impress them as to render unnecessaiy the resort to extremities. On the occasion of the Chinese march against the Koaluts, in 1867, the knowledge that a real- ly powerful body was moving against them first caused the aborigines to make advances which averted the necessity for conflict. I do not like to think what the consequences might have been if the Japanese hiwl been met upon the beach, or in the jungles near the beach^ by a determined and active enemy. The iiltimate disposition would not have been changed, but many unpleasant and discouraging episodes would almost certainly have intervened. The whole business of landing was carried throujrh in the most confused and laissez faire manner ima&rinable. (jj All the " sampans*' purchased in Amoy— except one which came to fracture somehow — ^and a number of light craft hired from the natives were engaged in the work. I do not care to mention too particularly the awkward in- cidents of the disembarking process, but a single example will be sufficient. The Gatling guns, which were i)rojierly to have been relied upon to cover 48 DISPOSITION OF THE NATIVES. May 8, the landing, in cise of need, were put in a boat with ,a party not one of whom know anything of the use of these formidable weapons. As it turned out, this was a matter of ho moment, but there had been nothing, up to thit time, to justify such assurance, or such earelessness, whichever it might have been. The slight association with the villagers which the officers had held, the day before, did- not altogether i)romise a i*elationship of entire friendliness. I was informed of one or two circumstiinces, outside of my owu observation, that did not seem like favorable omens. While I enter- tained, or was entertained l)y, a select and amicable circle on the banks of the river of Sialiao, the exploring party had jiassed through several hamlets the denizens of which regarded them with very miwelcoming eyes — so mtich so that the interpreter Johnson, who professed to be skilled in translate ing the expression of Hhe Formosan physiognomy as well as its Ungues, declared that he would not be answerable for the safety of the visitors if they did not keep themselves well banded together. Not to dwell too long upon this j)ai1;icular subject, I may say that my own speculations had led me to the very strong conviction that, in this part of the island, a stranger travel- ling and mixing among the natives with obviously no hostile design, would suffer no molestation ; for the tribes, though half uncivilized and jealous in temper, have no traditional ^vrongs to avenge, and are far from barbarous in their dis})osition or habits. But in the event of susj)icions of iujurious intention being aroused, the case would be wholly altered. It was fairly apparent that if these jHSople should get it fixed in their miuds that the expedition had come with aggressive pur^wses res}X3cting themselves, they would be difficult to deal with, for they would be under no restraint but that of fear. I believe that the strictest ordera were ffiven to avoid allowinc: them any fair ground for suspicion, but the difficulty of fiUfiUing such instructions was only too obvious. Under the best circumstances, the situa- tion could not be agreeable for the new comei-s. If they should be esixjcially forbearing, their lenience would not be api)reciated. If arrogant or severe 1874. THE FIRST ENCAMPMENT 49 — ^which, however, was hardly to be apprehended — ^the islanders would assuredly retaliatejn their own wild way. The establLshment of any trust- worthy relations between the Japinese and the Formosans of this neighbor- hood was out of the question, for a long time to come ; and it required little foresight to predict that, until evidence of overwhelming strength should have been given, either by some vigorous demonstration or by the quiet planting of an irresistible force here, there would be no safety for the lives of Japanese at any distance from their own encampments. The soldiers, cooks, laborers, etc. were all on shore a short time after noon. tJp to sunset, comparatively little of the baggage had appeared, and it seemed probable that the discharge of the entire cargo would be a work of many days. The camp was fixed in a little plain lying between the two rivers of which I have spoken — a miniature Mesopotamia. Its inland ex- tremity, according to the plan first adopted, was to be defended by an elaborate entrenchment. The sides, which were partially protected by the streams, were to be strengthened by other earthworks, reaching to the sea. The entire space marked ont for enclosure was a^iittle over forty acres. It included a considerable stretch of sandy beach, and a poorly cultivated field of sweet potatos. which latter seemed to be the sole agricultural achievement of a wretched little subsidiary village consisting of a dozen mud hovels, which also lay within the camp groimd. This cluster of dwellings was just off the line of the beach, and was almost hidden by a thick growth of stunted 4 crew-])ine8. It should be imderstood that the piece of land in question was not forcibly taken jx)sse3sion of, but was occupied under a verbal agreement with the owner, who had consented, the day before, to surrender it temporarily for a reasonable consideration. This phrase was too elastic, and, there was reason to apprehend, might lead to inconve- nience, as we had already witnessed one or two examples of the suddenly aroused rapacity of these natives. Ten tents — all that could be brought by the " Yuko Maru," — were. 4 50 EMPLOYMENT 01 VILLAGERS. May 8. ssuAZMf\^m litcl^ a little after noon, and a Jinc of gentries was fi ftfeivl> li sh^ appear that the Japanese were greatly elated over the immediate prospect before them. They found themselves sur- rounded by few of tlie comforts they had l)cen accustomed to, and many more than the .usual inconveniences of a soldier's career. They already discovered that their chief difficulty would be the heat, which threatened to cause much suffering. It was not only excessive in degree, but was of that intolerable and enfeebling quality which most rapidly breeds disease* The wind, at this time of year, in Formosa, brings little relief during the day, and there is no real vigQiieven in the sea breezes. The temperature is of a wity .ring and prostrating intensity such as I have encountered in no other place excepting, possibly, the Red Sea. 'Fortunately the nights are less oppressive. The Japanese are accustomed to considerable heats in their own country, especially the men of Satsuma and other Southern provinces, from which most of the soldiers were to come ; but it was plain that they could not escape severe distress here. The tents thus far provided 54 AN ILLUMINATION. May 9. for them wore marvellously contrived to aggravate the rigors of the climate. They were of the oldest and most obsolete conical form, close and ill- ventilated, and made of a quality of canvas so poor that it actually seemed to invite the sun's rays, instead of excluding them. One had only to look at their texture to rejxd the familiar story of ftve himdred per cent profit in the bank accoimt of the contractor — ^foreign, presumably — who supplied them to the Japanese government. At nine o'clock on the evening of this second day, all attention was attracted to the light of an enormous fire, burning, apparently, at a distance of five or six miles to the south east of Liangkiao. It blazed for an hour quite fiercely and then faded quickly away. Many fancied that it was a signal of warning among the savage tribes, and it was, indeed, discovered, at a later date, to have been their work, but the object was to clear the approaches to some of their strongholds which could not be made inacces- sible by the usual devices of blockading, and, by getting rid of the trees and shnibbery, to expose an advancing jiarty to an imobstnicted fire from the sheltered hill tojis. CHAPTER X. NATIVE LAD0RBU8 EMPLOYED — ^THBIU IMPRACTICVBILITY — VISIT OK A UBITISU GUNIIOAT — ^.VN ENTEUI'ttlKlNa CONSUL — ^INSATIABLE CUBED OF THE POPU- LACE — A THREATENED APPEAL TO ARMS — ARRIVAL OF ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS — JAPANESE HOUSE-RUILDING IN FORMOSA. About four hundred natives came in, on the niormng of the !)tb, from all I)art» of the valley, and jinnouncod themselves .ready to be emplof^l njym the fortifications. It was the moat innonf^nons assemblage imagin- able, and not more than half the nmnber were callable of doing effective work; but the Ja|K\nese officers apjx^rpd disinclined to miike any dis- crimination, and they were all turned into the trenches and told to do the best they could. About one third of them were women, some with infante 8tmp|)eke through the lines and followed the dis- bureing officers about with savage shouts and gestures. I was surprised at the complete calmness of the Japanese in dealing with them; the in- difference they showed to the frequent menaces, and their obvious deter- mination not to be roused to irritation by any displays of violence. It was not until after sunset that the disturbance subsided. Those that had worked, or pretended to work, received the stipulated payment, and they aJl at last retired with the air of virtuous beings who had suffered the bitterest wrongs tliat predetermine d tyranny could inflict upon them. A British gunboat, the "Hornet,** which we had seen at Amoy, and which liad left that port just il Lfld^nce of u §, s teamed into the bay during the day and a party of officers came on shore to tjilr,^ , n}iBPTY a^i<^n«- Ac- companying them was a gentleman justly renowned as one of the most enterprising enquirers in the East. This was Her Britannic Majesty's Consul for Formosa, of whom it sliall be recorded that he will not be likely to lack information upon any earthly subject by reason of diffidence in asking questions about it. It was a singular ckcumstance that he desired to gather ^intelligence solely for the purpose of imparting it to the Chinese authorities at Taiwan Fu or Takao. The Taotai would naturally apply to 1874. A CONSULAR INQUISITOR. 57 hini, on his return, and he should be glad to give him the most favorable report that he could obtain. Of course he would be closely interrogated, and it would be for the interest of the Japanese to enable him to supply the fullest explanation of their past action and future projects. -No thought of a possible inclination on the part of British authorities to become acquainted with the condition of affaii-s, appeared to enter his mind. Un- fortunately the subjects in regard to which he seemed most anxious were almost as obscure to those whom he addressed as to himself. There was really very little information to give, of the, kind that he wanted. I am afraid that he imagined a reticent resolution which in fact did not exist, and if he 'did so, it would have been cruelly unjust, especially as no sign of doubt was cast upon tha sincerity of his assurances that he was investigating with the simple view of putting the Japanese in the best light before the Chinese magnates of Taiwan. He remained all day on land, and had every opportunity for free observation of the little that was to be seen in the Japanese camp. Reports had been brought to head quarters, in the morning, to the effect that armed bodies of mountaineers, generally few in number, were hovering about the plain in every direction. Stragglers from the southern tribes had come close to the lines, and made no concealment of their hostile sentiments. One of these treated Lieut. Commander Cassel to an eloquent harangue, — in clearest and most distinct pantomime. That gentleman was watching the progress of the intrenchments when an excited visitor came up to him, and, in signs which to him appealed unmistakeable, ex- pressed his conviction that, while digging might be a suitable occupation for strangers here,* in the valley, throat-cutting was the popular pastime of the natives, among the mountains, as he would find when he should travel in that direction. It was already plain that there was no general good feeling to be counted upn in any part of this country. Even the inhab- itants of the valley, at the least little distance from the camp, glared 58 SYMPTOMS Of DISTURBANGE. May 10, tlire;iteuingly whenever they jxissed us by. Their suspicions were thoroughly {^) aix>used — a fact which I, for one , could not look ujwn as at all remarkable. There was no particukr reason why, from their iK»int of view, they should not be distrustful. All the efforts of the Jaiuxnese to put them at ease were, at the outset, misuccesafiU. They could not, in the nature of things, be otherwise. On the morning of the 10th, the reluctant and turbident laborers of the suiTOUnding villages ^nt-4n a committee to announce that they had resolved not to work for less than fifty cents a day. Johnson, the inter- l)reter, explauied that the whok community was in a raging fever to get rich without delay, and that the pjaijligalit^^ of many of the subordinate officers, in their various transactions, had given rise to the most oxtrA- vagant and insatiable expectations. Wo soon had scvoimI evidences of this disivgreeable tnith. The owner of the ix)tato field ujwn which we were encamjicil had agreed, as I liave mentioned, to allow his gi-ound to be used for a reasonable comi)ensation. He now sent word that his idea of a reasonable compensation was four thousand dollars — ^\sum tlie like of which had pro- bably never been heard of in all Southern Formosa since the days of its first settlement. The occujiants of eome of the mud huts in the village close at hand had declared their Avillingness to rent them, at fair rate s, for store- houses. They now gave infonuation that six hundred dollars wjis the figiu*e they had fixed upon. There was some delay in the transmission of their message^ which came near leading to an unpleasant conflict. The Japanese coolies had been told that the cottages would be ready for them at sunrise, and accordingly proceeded to them at tliat time, laden with luggage from the beach. Whereui)on the villagers sprang upon them with brandished ,^\ ' ^j swords, drove them out of their single street, bar ricadgd the entrances and *^ ^«viu;tL. announced themselves ready for a fight. On going to the spot, the oflicere found some of them with guns in hand, excessively defiant, and bursting with genuine or ijaQG k_heroics. They wer6 quite prepared, then and there, 1874. AURIVAL OF SUPERIOR OFFICERS. 51> to strike for their ^Itars^and their fires, and, if they must be killed, to die/71 at once, without further waiting. Were they so prepared ? Opinions are divided on this point. For my part, I think the gentlemen did prot^ too much. Persons who are tmly anxious to die seldom talk to excess about it. The co ntftmagjons hut-holders were, however, quieted, if not 'satisfied, by an assurance that their estates shoidd not be molested, and that the bargain of the night before should be considered as not having been com- pleted, and therefore void. I s\y "if not satisfied," because I do not{7l believe that relief from intrusion was what they actually wanted. They wanted money, as much as they coidd get, but . on this Bpooial ocoaHJon the y Jri]lo,d fhp.ir g»^ldft n goose, and got n othin g at all. I must not omit to mention that my l^ald-^iated dgma gog ucy in whose movements I began, about this time, to take great interest, was characteristi^Uy prominent during this little affmy , and did all in his individual power to swell it to riotous dimensions. zv-^niit. y The field laborers were netificd-that their services would not be needed at the mte demanded by them, whereat Ihey, too, raged furiously and bore themselves as if fresh injuries had been hea],>ed ujwn them. I suppose that by this time the patience of the Japanese was exhausted, for they made no further attempts toward an understanding. The work on the fortifications ceased entirely, the number of soldiers being only sufficient for a comEeteiit camp-guard, and the coolies being all occupied in the trans- fer of stores and similar tasks. The "Hornet" sailed away noiihward at daylight on the 10th. A little later the Japanese frigate " Nishin '*' came into the harb(n', with Admiral Akamatsu, the senior naval officer of the expedition, and General Tani, the next in army rank after Saigo. These gentlemen brought- word that Generals Saigo and Le Qendre were still detained in Jajian by the various bstmctioiis which have ali-eady been described, and that the Pacific Mail Steamship "New York " hail been ix)8itively withdrawn by the agent of 60 FRESH TROOPS AND SUPPLIES. May 10. the company. A large transport entered the bay about noon, with two hundred soldiers, a fresh force of laborers and abundant supplies. Among the first materials lauded from her were quantities of timber and boards with which the carpenters immediately set to work y.onstninting houses. In the course of the afternoon they finished a number of rough but gervicfiahle buildings, without ^^riyii^g ^ nml — everything being tied together with ropes of straw, and thus capable of being j jssect^d at will, and used again in another form, if necessary. .Until long after midnight they continued rearing " shanlj ^es" with undimmished industry, singing cheerily all the while, as is the custom of Japanese craftsmen. The nights, at this period were cool, but the heat of the days was excessive, and already many cases of prostration and illness, from this cause, were repirted. CHAPTER XL NEW CAMP SELECTED— FRESH DIFFICULTIES WITH THE NATIVES — ^RABH EX- CUBSION OF UNAUTHORIZED VOLUNTEERS — AN INTERVIEW WITH SAVAGE CHIEFS — THE LEADER OF SOUTHERN FCMIMOSA — ^FRIENDLY RELATIONS ES- TABLISHED — CONFIDENCE IN GENERAL L£ GENDRE — ^ANOTHER FEAST. Admiral Akamatsu and General Tani were now the officers of highest rank in the expedition, and from this time, until the subsequent arrival of Gen- eral Saigo, ihe direction of affiiirs was in their hands. On the Hth of May, a new camping ground was selected, at a spot some two miles south of the field first chosen, in consequence of the discovery that the place occupied was liable to be overflowed during the heaviest of the summer rains. The new site was fixed upon a hill-side which rises from a small inlet just below the point forming the southern boundary of Liangkiao Bay. A party was sent in the afternoon to prepare the ground and dig wells, but was met by a body of about sixty natives, who refjised to allow them to go on with their work. The excuse they gave for the interference was that they believed certain graves in the locality would be injured. According to usage here established, the Japanese soldiers gave way, and waited for further orders. The "head men " of that particular region were sent for and were assured a second time— the whole business having been thoroughly discussed and, it was supposed*, settled, in the morning-— that there wo\Ud no dfi Bcciation of bunal places, and tnat, on the contray, each grave was to be surrounded by a bamboo fence. They were furthermore admonished — now for the first time, I believe — ^that these repeated marks of ill-will might perhaps tire out the endurance of the officers who were earnestly 62 UNAUTHORIZED EXPLOltATION. K\y 13, and sincerely endeavoring to treat them with kindness and consideration. They then promised that there should be no further obstiiiction, and, for a considerable time, the pledge was adhered to. On the .morning of the 12th, a party of eight or nine Japinese — ^inter- preters and xgbint^ffT attaches of the expedition — sjfcarted o ff upon^a private and unauthorized tout of exploratio n. They went some miles along the coast, to the south, and ^ai dlfid- inland a li ttlp. w>>y among the mountains. They returned safely on the night of the 13th, liaving, of course, accomplished no good results, and having set a vicious example which presently led to mischief. There seemed to be no restraining the adventurous 8})irit of some of these iiTesponsible young Jajianese. Instead of waiting for suitable opportunities to display their boldness, they would insist upon exhibiting it in various ways that could serve no desirable end and Tnjorh ^ l^ftve endang ered graver interests than those of their personal safety. Wf i w^^r^ T^one t lio j^ss glad, howeve ij ^rhftt '" ^Y}^ m^\^x\^9 t hfty_ ca me to no giief thr ough their foo l-lmrd^^ess- iff^ ^-«*^^^HXA-f^ Partly in consequence of this unwarranted excursion, and partly for other and sufficient reasons, it was thought expedient to send a messenger, on the 13th, to the head-quarters of those chiefs of the eighteen tribes who were supposed to hold the ^eater part of the power and influence formerly >vield(Ki by Tokitok, and to invite them ^ an interview for the purpose of declaiing to them the pacific designs of the Jajianese, so far as they were concerned, and seeming, if ][x>ssible, their co-operation and good will. This messenger, who was no other than our ally Miya, performed his isxsjid promptly and well, and retimied, on the following day, with the intelligence that none of the chiefs was disposed to come into the Jajianese camp, or even to descend any great distance into the Liangkiiro valley, but that four of them would advance as far as a certain village on the edge of the mountains, about three miles from the sea-coast. The principal of these chiefs would be Isa, himself the head of a tribe, and 1874. FIRST TRIP TO THE INTERIOR. 63 supposed by some to be invested with i>articular authority as a sort of guardian over Tokitok's son and successor, who would also be of the pirty. It was iitipulatftd llmt^he strangera should present themselves unaccom- jianied by an escort, and it was certainly understood, though pcrhaiis not expi'essly agreed, that the chiefs would bring no armed rotinue with them. At ten o'clock on the morning of the 15th, seven officers, mth inter- preters and guides, started foi* the .appointe d place of meeting. The way was cU^Qcult and fatiguing. There were no conveyances suitable to the road over which it was necessary to i)as8, and the whole distance had to b( L travers ed qt) foot. This i)art of the island is destitute of any kind of shelter from the sun, though abundant Jn^low growths of thick pines. After the first two miles, the route was jl g radual and sl^idy ascent, to the foot of the hills bounding the valley at the southwest. The little village at which the chiefs were waiting was similar in general aspect to those of the coast ; inferior in the quality of its houses to the group over which Miya's family presides, but superior to most of the others. The Chinese tyjxj of countenance was still distinguishable in niany of the inhabitants, though their bearing was even boldiULand more auuaciQiis than that of the shore residents. It was an odd coincidence that among the crowd that came out to witness the arrival of the visitors, the most conspicuous person was recognized by Mr. Gassel as the man who had adi*e8sed him a^ j few days Ixjfore, near Sialiao,with mimic representations of the deca})itation <^«<^ that awaited the strangei-s as soon as they should leave the encampment. In the streets of the village thenc was no sign of Drepamtion . and nothing was visible aroimd to indiaUe the presence of the chiefs, but it was known that they were there, since the American officei-s had Imlted a quarter of a mile outside and, not much liking the surroundings of the jJace, had sent in a j)roposition that they should come forth and confer in the open spice. This was refused, and there wa aaio thing to be done but to push forwaixl and meet them on their own tenns. I I 64 CONFERENCE WITH SAVAGE CHIEFS. May 15, The party urns led to one of the best cottages, in the principal room of which a man was standing alone, who did not wait to be accosted, bnt iumiediately withdrew. This was afterward found to be the chief Isa. Up to the moment of his sudden exit, there had not been a single indica- tion that the village was occupied by any besides the regular denizens : but as he stepped forth, a body of about forty wild looking men came into view as suddenly qj \^ ^y^^ ^ff^ V^np f^^^ jjgt by rnag^^*. It was impossible to imagine where or how they had been concealed. The fabled call_of Roderiibn Dh u ^uldj iothave been more startlinfy in its fiffiw*tw than flift ailAntjmmnr^(>Tia nf f.hiR Havftgft wArrioT. His foUowcrs gathered com- pactly about the door of the house, and, although there was probably j^^ iiytftnt\ftn _Q£Jlifi gnrtj it seemed for a moment as if they wished to give substantial proof of their mastery of the situation and to show the strangers the helplessness of the position into which they had allowed themselves to be led. This did not last long. Isa presently returned, a<5Companied by the younger son of Tokitok, a fine looking lad of about eighteen years of age, and by other chiefs. In the conversation that followed, he took the sole control, on the part of the natives, rarely consulting at all with his associates. His manner, as well as that of his companions, appeared to indicate that his ^« thfi mofi^ ^>jf P"^?^^" ^n the affairs of those Southern tribes that still remained in confederation. T^p pmnnnnl upppamnfift of this Ipj^dpr wag striking. Hft iR tAll and TTmsfinUr and fionft id e rAbly a ) )0 Vft t ho Europ ean ■avera ge in stature and physin al devAloprnP^f. Hih cfvpiplexion ig dark». and the expression of hia_ countenance is vigorou s ^ . reRolnte a n d in t rf . p id. At tj mfip \\ assiimfl fl an n.ir of pYtrpmft feroHtv, and it, wflH paay \(\ see that i f he were moved to su ddenjwiath hisJ'eaturgHjwonld a i-^^iee-faB4^feSrihat demo niac4^^^n- vn ^ b "^^^ p^^^^ ^f fissntning- which cvcr>'bodv i n-jthe r pgion Rftc> p ied to be gifte d^ His eyes are remarkable and quite exceptional. They are almobii colorless,— that is to say, there is hardly a distinction 1874. . ISAOFSAWALL 65 — — ^ — ^ between the dull bluish white of t.hft mrnArs and th^ pupjk. This, how- ever, was afterward dbcovered to be the effect of a peculiar malady from which they suffer, and, as a consequence, they were not often lighted up ; but occasionally a gleam came into them as fierce and vicious as that of any wild beast. And this, so far as we could then judge, was when he was at his best — attending a friendly conference and exercising a species of rough hospitality. There were reasons, at a later date, for modifying this estimate of his character. In dress he was like the average Chinaman of this district, excepting that his garments were of somewhat better quality, and were slightly embroidered. His arms — ^matchlock, spear, bow and arrows and sword — ^were in good condition and polished to the highegt ^ '^ yy plat es 9f silver -None of his companions jssis \dthQiitJihese fantastic decorations,' although some wor^ shells or pieces of crystal, instead of metallic substances. The interview was not very long, and although the colloquy was neces- sarily slow, requiring a triple translation each way — ^from Japanese into En- glish, thence into Chinese and again into the savage dialect, with the same 5 66 BANQ UET WITH 8 A VAOES. May >5, process reversed in replies — ^there was little occasion for extensive discussion. The mere forms of meeting and T^picognition, and the interchange of a few reassuring words were about all that was really required. Isa manifested some curiosity as to the ultimate purposes of the Japanese, and was told that he would undoubtedly receive full information as soon as Generals Saigo and Le Gendre should arrive, but*that the designs of the exi)edition were not likely to aflTect him or his subjects, or any well disposed tribes. The name of Gen- eral Le Gendre appeared to possess a singular charm over these people. Attention was called to the fact that the Japanese party had P"^ ^*^lth ^r i.lift inf^gr^ty nf thft. na-tivftfl by fiomiTig among thfip nnnf.f AnHprI liy a gnq^di and thft hope expressed that the chiefs would return the confidence by vis iting f.hfl P.nnflTnpTnqritj - with nr wit.hnnt fnllmTrftrflj oa t]^ p y micrlif. nliAoafi . To this Isa ^^^^fe-whereupon it was furthermore suggested that any of the foreigners would willingly go to the interior and remain there as a tgsteg e during the term of such a visit. Still the mountain leader would not re- spond, but when he was asked if Jie would come after General Le Gendre's arrival, he readily answered in the affirmative. Alluding to the circum- stance that the Japanese had travelled in a strange region without an escort, he offered to send a detachment of his own men back to the camp with them, but this, naturally, was declined. After about an hour of con- versation, it was announced that a pig had been killed, and a feast was ready. The anxiety of preparation for this inevitable solemnity, I ought to have mentioned, was the reason given, earlier in the day, for not coming out to meet the visitors at a distance from the village. The pig, with its accessaries, was disposed of, tea and sam-shu were dmnk, and the assem- •blage broke up, a little after three o'clock, with formal expressions of courteous satisfaction on all sides. Just before leaving, the* American gentle- men exhibited the capacities of the Winchester and other rifles which they carried, to the interest and astonishment of the natives, whose fire-anns • are yet of the most primitive class ; and at the suggestion of the Japanese 1874. FRIENDLY DEMONSTRATIONS. 67 officers, the present of a Snider was made to each of the chiefs. These were accepted with assurances that they should be treasured as memorials, but also .with modest doubts as to the ability of the recipients to make effective use of weai)ons so far superior to those of their customary ex- perience. The excursionists returned to th^ir camp at six o'clock in the evening. A third transport, accompanied by a gun-boat, came into harbor on the 16th, bringing additional troops and stores. On the same day Major Fukusima, who, in addition to his military duties, yf9& entrusted with the iuacJioaa^of Consul at Amoy, set out to return to his jjoatuof civil service, for the completion of business that had been especially rnnfidfid to him and which will be briefly explained hereafter. CHAPTER XII. A RASH ADVANCE AKD ITS RESULT — THE PENALTY OF STRAGGLING — ^DECAPITA- TION OF A SAT8UMA SOLDIER — ASSAULT ON A BOAT's CREW OF A JAPANESE FEIGATi>— VIOLENT RAIN STORM AND CONSEQUENT DELAYS. It was not long before the Japanese soldiers received a shock to their sense of fancied security. In spite of repeated admonitions, numbers of them persisted in wandering about through regions too remote from the camp to allow them to reach it, or enable them to receive assistance, in case of danger. On the afternoon of the 17th, a body of one hundred men was sent out to a distance of two miles eastward, for some reconnoitring purpose not clearly defined. They ran no particular risk, so long as they remained together and kept clear o f t.lip. juTi^jg^; but half a dozen of them were seized with the desire to visit a little village, the roofs of which were seen over thfi-^fihiubbery, less than a (juarter of a mile further on. They went there unmolested, and re- mained awhile. On their way back, they were fired updn, from a thicket, by invisible assailants. One man was wounded in the neck, and another, a sergeant of a Satsuma regiment, was shot dead. Having no means of knowing the number or the exact situation of the attacking f«rce, they ran back to the reconnoitring party, all of whom advanced without delay to the spot. They found that the head of the murdered man had been out off, his body stripped^ and his weapons taken away. Of course no trace of the enemy could be discovered. The result of all inquiries upon the subject showed to a certainty that the work was done by members of the very Botan tribe which slaughtered the Miyako Sima fishermen 1874. HRST BLOODSHED. 69 in 1871, and which the Japanese were now in Formosa for the sole pur- pose of calling to account. The Botans were known to have posts of ohservatbn on the hill-tops, and it was a sgiple matter for them to watch the movements of stragglers, and intercefi them by side^paEEs with which all the abprigmes were of course perfectly familiar. It was hoped sue that this first raisl&p_would at least be an effective warning to the r eckless excursionists connected, more or less officially, with the expedition ; but it did not prove so. Some of them were insensible to restraint, and showed themselves incapable/>f pmfitin^bv apv lesson^, however-sfevere. Before taking steps of ret^ )ia. As the Japanese soldiers used no tables, many of their ar- ticles of clothing, and other valuables, were washed away and never seen again. Intercourse of every kind, excepting such' as was imperatively 70 A FOUMOSAN TEMPEST. . May IP. required, was suspended. Thiring ff>rf.3r-e iKht hou rs^no^fe ^ could^ be GQj^d. The lines of sentinels, at night, could npt be Baaintaiupd*, and the camp was guarded only by isolated picksStP? stationed upon pieces groimd that were not too deeply ^ubmerge^ . Finally, it was^ found ne- cessary to shift qi aartfiiB, as hastily as possible, to a sand ridge, bordering the beach. Here the situation was in some degree improved, hnt pfirijR by flood wfl T fl fl till tho forrnr of thft j ky aTidJhfidrefljn^feggh^^ In the midst of this tempest, the little British "Hornet" returned, with the intention, it was understood, of remaining a considerable time in the neighborhood. As the British Consul for Formosa had been landed at Taiwan Fu, some fifty miles distant, it seemed probable that this second visit might not be exclusively for the purpose of assisting the plans of the Japanese by gathering intelligence that should represent their en- terprise in the most favorable aspect to the Chinese of the northern part of the island. Great Britain^ it was to be presumed, might have an interest in the observations to be made on this occasion. CHAPTER XIII. ASSAULT ON A RECONNOITRING PARTY — ANOTHER IMPRUDENT EXCURSION — ATTACK IN FORCE DY THE JAPANESE — FUTILE PURSUIT OF THE SAVAGES — \ SUSPECTED VILLAGE — ESTABLISHMENT OF OUTPOSTS — THE FIRST REGULAR ENGAGEMENT — SIX JAPANESE AND SIXTEEN ABORIGINES SLAIN. On the 21st of May, a detachmftn t n^ tw^l ye omen was sent out to examine the locality where the Satsiima soldier had been killed four days before. Their instructions were to visit the village at which they had previously halted, to inquire into the circumstances, and to ascertain beyond a doubt to which tribe the unknown enemies belonged. It was recognized that the murdered man had been roaming in places where he should riot have been, and that the assailants were porhap not J j g r uuj^ to kn ow that his ,€g^gd. was innocent ; but, on the other hand, apart from the fact that the Japanese were in no case disposed to look upon his death with indifference, he had gone nowhere near the established limits of the Liangkiao district, and tiie actual intrusion, as well as aggression, had been on the side of the savages. It was understood that thi s^gcoutino^ party was not to expose itself to danger, and was to confine itself to gathering such information as could be oTi)tained mthout serious risk ; but the res tlees spirit of the men was, as usual, entirely beyond rfiasonable_CQntrol. They found the place, to which they had been sent, entirely deserted, and thought proper to push forward to the next settlement, a couple of miles beyond. When they were about four miles from the camp they were suddenly which increased the entire j^g ^])}G force of fighting men to about thirteen hundred. Before the disembarka- tion commenced, two other vessels approached from a different direction, jj^^jigjJQggjiig-fif which was at first doubtful, but which presently proved to be a Chinese frigate and gimboat. The anival of these ships of war excited much curiosity, for, up to this time, we, in Formosa, had received no definite or trustworthy intelligence of the views of the Chinese govern- ment, since the commencement of the efforts of foreign Ministers to divert them from the true issue, and great uncertainty was felt as to the course of action they might adopt. It was a relief to find, on visiting these new- comers, that their visit was in no respect unfriendly, for not only were all ieti^^ to Chinese interference thus a,lli^:^ , but conclusive proofs were 76 MESSENGERS FROM CHINA. May 22, afforded of the falseness of the grounds upon which the mischief-makers at Tokio and Peking had based their irritating proceedings. According to these messengers, the goveniment of China had never yet objected in any degree to the Japanese movement, and one of the special errands of the ships was to communicate with the natives of the Liangkiao valley and to assure the chiefs personally, and the people by posted proclamations, that the Japanese were here to do a good work, that the Chinese authorities were in sympathy with them, and that it should be the dnty of all the inhabitants to assist them in every way that lay in their power. Maldngjlfli^.^JJ9^5ggBjQr-ihe hig h-flown extravagance of some of their declamtions, it was abundantly cl^r that, up to this time,' no hostile sentiments had be^n generally diffused amonff the Chinese officials ; and indeed, evidence was afterward supplied that the Admiral in command at Amoy had rd^I2i§4 the famifiar asser- tions that his government was not responsible for and had no jurisdiction over the savage population, some days after the first party of Japanese had actually reached FormosaJ It was, however, apparent that the promptings of the foreign advisers had already produced the seeds of that opposition which afterward grew to such menacing proportions. That the Chinese did not themselves under- stand the nature of the steps they were about to take was evident from the discrepancy between the tone of their verbal assurances and the docyments V « to which they now for the first time committed themselves. And, as the documents were ambiguous, while their personal declarations were clear and undisguised, the former were looked upon, for the moment, as being mere matters of precautionary record, and not calculated to bear directly upon the movements now in progress. Under any circumstances, the written com- munication brought by the messengers could not have affected the course of General Saigo's operations, inasmuch as they opened a question which, if it required discussion at all, could be settled only by diplomatic agencies, with which he was neither authorized nor inclined to interfere. What this 1874. GENERAL SAIOO'S POSITION. 77 communication was, may be explained in a few words. « Fukusima Kunari, on first landing at Amoy, had delivered a letter from General Saigo to Li Wo Nen, the Viceroy of Fu Kien, notifying him of the departm^ of the expedition for Formosa, as the sequel of the con- ferences between Soyezima Taneomi and the members of the Tsung li Yamen, in the spring of 1873 ; conveying anew the desire of the Japanese government to maintain the most cordial relations with that of Cliina, and asking that he, the Viceroy, would use his efforts to prevent both his own subjects and foreigners from giving aid to the savages by supplying them with arms and ammunition or other materials of war. As a matter of fact, there was no necessity for the transmission of any such letter ; but the circumstance of its having been written and sent again exhibits the deter- mination of the Japanese officials to act frankly and unreservedly in all the arratigements of their share in the business. The intentions of General Saigo were openly avowed. The entire absence of suspicion that the Chinese would now offer objections was demonstrated by the request that the authority of the highest official of Fu Kien should be used to prevent the aborigines from being strengthened by outside assistance. The methods employed on this occasion were as straightforward and sincere as were those of every other detail of the movemeut, from beginning to end. To bring the» Viceroy's answer to this despatch was another of the duties undertaken by the Chinese ships. At a later period, they chose to represent it as the principal if not the sole object of their visit, and to declare That their conversational avowals were mere complimentary fictions. But, at the time, they held a very different tone, and declared that the letter was to be taken only as a response to the direct subjects mentioned in General Saigo *s first communication, while, on the broader and more general topics of interest between the two nations they were authorized to convey th6 true sentiments of friendship entertained by the Viceroy and his court. If it were true, as has since been alleged, that the Japanese Com- 78 LIITTER IROM THE VICEROY OF FU KIEN. Mat 25, mander in Chief was misled by their intentional duplicity, it would be no special discredit to him. As a soldier, he probably mak^ no pretence to skill in the detection of Chinese ciaft. But it does not appear to be true. At this period, the Chinese had only begun to be influenced in a direction adverse to the Japanese movement. The feelii^, such as it was, was limited to a very few officials. The representatives of the United States were not yet aware of it, and many Chinese of the highest station still openly held to the theory that their government would assume no control over the aboriginal regions of Formosa.* . But the Viceroy's letter did affirm that China would claim authority over that part of the island, and expressed the wish that the Japanese general should withdraw his troops. These announcements were so un- expected and extraordinary that Saigo gave his first attention to the recep- tion of the visitors, with the view of ascertaining more clearly, if posflible, the meaning of the despatch which they brought. A meeting took place on the morning of the 23d, in a tent pitched, for the purpose, close to the beach. On the part of the Chinese little was said beyond the formal ex- pression of the amicable feeling previously indicated on board their vessels. They were asked to explain the purport of the Viceroy's letter, which conflicted entirely with the jiosition previously taken by all the Chinese authorities. They did not hesitate to interpret Jt as having reference to the future. The Viceroy's desire, according to them, was that the troops should withdraw after having accomplished the task assigned to them. In other woi-ds, the Viceroy was willing that the Japanese should undertake the work of punishing the savages and restoring order and security in the * Mr. WiUinms, the U. 3. Cliurg^ at Poking;, writing on the 29tli of May, taid that tho nuthorities of the Chiiieae mpital did not at that time consider the action of the Jopaneso, in Tiditiiig Formosa, to be warlike. Mr. Ilenderstm, the U. S. Consul at Amoy, wrote, June l»t and 3d, that the Cliinese had not thithert^o " prctpuded \o claim that part of tho island ** where tho savages reside, or in any manner be responsible for their conduct," and that lie had been so informed bj " a high officer in tho C'hinose sorrieo." 1874. MUTUAL SATISFACTION. 79 island, after which the. territory should revert to Chinese rule, — he, Li Wo Nen, to reap the advantages of whatever sacrifice of treasure and life might be made by Japan. This view of the matter was one which Greneral Saigo was . not disposed to consider in any way. His -instructions contained no reference to the question of the future control of the island. He had received orders only to investigate the circumstances of the original murders, to enforce re- tribution and to take measures to prevent the recurrence of such deeds. He was therefore perfectly content to accept the present position as it appeared to be understood by the Chinese messengers. He would proceed with his own Work, and leave the other matters to be decided by those within whose province they lay. And with this conclusion, the Chinese expressed them- selves equally satisfied. There is no reason to doubt, even now, that they were satisfied. The hostile feelings that ultimately required to be dealt witl^in an extremely resolute manner were of a later birth. They did exhibit some inclination to take part in the operations projected against the" aborigines, and spoke of the exjiediency of a joint expedition, — China to send a force to second the Japanese proceedings. But this proposition was very firmly, though politely, discouraged. After several hours, during which repeated interchanges of courtesy and good will took place, and the Chinese ofiicials carried out their idea of representing to the Liangkiao inliabitants that they approved of the existing state of afiairs — ^which an- nouncement, it may be mentioned, was received with the utmost indifference inasmuch as the people of this quarter refuse to recognize Chinese, authority — ^the vessels of war departed. On the afternoon of the 23d, their flag was formally saluted by the frigate " Nishin * ' and the complim^t was duly returned, with all honors. The maimer in which this little cere- mony was carried out afforded some amusement. It would be suppoeed that the simple task of discharging twenty-one guns was one that might be executed with promptness and precision by the least skilful ship's company that could be gathered together. But after the reports from the Japanese 80 AN AWKWARD SALUTE. Mat 23* vessel had ceased, there came a long delay, findly broken by an irregular peal of six guns, at intervals varying from a couple of seconds to half a minute. Then followed silence for at least three minutes, after which, six more ill-timed flashes and detonations, these again interrupted by a pause of certainly five minutes. Had any accident happened ? Some of the Japanese thought this probable, and a boat was about to put off from the "Nishin" to make inquiries when the salute was renewed, and, with another long intermission after the next six discharges, carried through to the end. It was presently discovered that the frigate had only six available guns, and that the successive lapses were caused by a want of expertness in reloading. From that moment, the i)erformance8 of Chinese artillery became, justly or imjustly, a jesting by-word in the camp of the Japanese and on board their ships. It would be an affectation, however, to conceal that this visit, with its manifestations. of good feeling, which were undoubtedly sincere enough in their way, at that time, afforded much satisfaction. The machinations that had been on foot ever since the plan of the expedition had become partially known ; the open and secret efforts of certain foreign Ministers to interfere in every obstructive way, and the undisguised attempts to arouse the jealousy of the Chinese and stimulate them to hostile action had awakened a sense of uneasiness that was now, for the moment, com- pletely allayed. At this stage of proceedings — ^perhaps at any stage — nothing could have deterred the Japanese from resolutely pursuing their project in one way or another, but they were naturally gratified to find that what might have been a formidable' impediment, if it had been a fact, had really no existence except in the imagination of the credulous or the invention of the malicious. The whole ground upon the which the as- sumed right to interfere was based was now seen to be visionary, and ap- parently, had no more existence in the minds of the Chinese than in the judgment of Japan. There remained not the shadow of an excuse for the 1874. RESULTS OF FOREIGN INTERFERENCE, 81 interruptions which had so long delayed and embarrassed the action of the Japanese government, and the effects of which threatened at one time to be as ruinous as they really were costly and annoying. This was the state of things at the end of May. It is true ^that, a month later, a certain amount of success crowned the efforts of the instruments of mischief and ill-will. They did at last goad the Chinese into a false position of jealous irritation, from which the only possible extrication was by a road of humiliation and material acknowledgment of error. AU that the inter- ference of the foreign representatives ever effected was the abasement of China, which the Japanese themselves had never intended or contemplated. They forced the government of Peking to assume an attitude which it could not maintain, and which one of them, at least, had finally to advise it to retire from, at whatever sacrifice of dignity and consistency. Up to the end of May, I repeat, nothing had occurred on the part of either of the two nations directly concerned, to warrant the first accusation of hostile sentiment or design. The idea existed only in the conception of those who, upon principles which, let us hope, they can explain satisfactorily to them- selves, used a power that rested in their hands to bring to a direful realiza- tion the fictitious creation of their own fancies. In other respects this brief mission from China was of slight importance. Certain civil officers of high rank had been deputed to take part in it, but the magnates of that overgrown empire move slowly, and the vessels sailed while they were getting their baggage ready. By way of compensation, some of the higher authorities of Taiwan Fu — the principal Chinese city of Formosa, were brought down to add what weight they might to the representations of the Viceroy's special messenger and the naval officers. It may not be inappropriate to mention that their assurances of satisfaction with the operations in progress were mingled with expressions of unfeigned wonder that a nation should make such vast preparations and go to such enormous expense merely to punish the murderers of two or three dozen of 82 CONTRASTS OF NATIONAL CHARACTER. May 23. its lowest subjects. The observation illustrates, in a simple way, one of the most ei^sential points of difference between the national character of the Chinese and that of the Jajmnese. It needed the powerful impulse given by Japan, in the case of the "Mam Luz" coolies, to stir the au- thorities of China to eflfective measures for the repression of a traffic that had de86lated their seaports for scores of years. On the other hand, from the momcDt of the firet intelligence of the outrage on the shipwrecked sailors of Miyako Sima, the Japanese had been busily engaged in concerting plans for the punishment of the marauders and for security against the recun*ence of such aggressions. CHAPTER XV. I LATER INTELLIGENCE FROM JAPAN — ^UNJUST ASPERSIONS — ^MR, RINGHAM'b PROTEST — ^POSSIBLE MOTIVES FOR HIS COURSE — RETROSPECTIVE DETAILS — SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACTION OF DIPLOMATIC MEII4BERS RESPONSIBILITIES OF OKUMA' — CONCLUSIONS OP THAT OFFICER — ^AN IN- VESTIGATION AND ITS RESULTS — OKUBO TOSIMITI — ^FUTILITY OF FOREIGN OPPOSITION. The news from Japan, brought by the arrivals of the 22d5 showed that the difficulties arising from outside antagonism to the expedition were still unsettled. For the first time we learned that the hasty departure of the " Yuko Maru ' ' had been stigmatized as an act of bad faith, on the part either of the superior Japanese officials stationed at Nagasaki or of the persons more immediately engaged in the preliminary proceedings. And it also appeared that the extent of the hostility felt and exhibited by the opponents of the movement, active as it had already proved itself," was altogether underrated by those who had. been cut off from a know- ledge of the events succeeding those of the 27th of April. The letters received from Mr. Bingham had been understood to be strongly admonitory, but in no manner peremptory ; and, indeed, his right to issue positive orders, under the circumstances, would not liave been recognized by any of the Americans concerned. There was nothing to show that his protest was more than a formal expression of his dissatisfaction with the circum- stance that Americans had been emi)loyed in this service. It was, to be sure, taken in a much more serious sense by certain members of the Japanese government, who liad been taught by bitter experience that a 84 MB. BINGHAM'S OBIGINAL ATTITUDE. Matt 23, remonstrance from a foreign Minister is too often identical with a threat, and that a declaration of discontent with the course pursued by the aia- thorities is equivalent to a menace of violence in case that course is not straightway abandoned. I have no desire to attribute any such purpose to Mr. Bingham. On the contrary, I have the strongest disposition to fairly represent his general acknowledgment of the independent rights and privi- lege of the JapMiese. His original instincts, on assuming his duties as Miniater of the United States, had been heartily averse to the system of oppressive interference which was exercised by many of his colleagues and in which. his predecessor had not failed to participate. Nobody could havfe depicted more plainly than he did, in private and official communica- tions, the injustice of the methods usually employed for compelling the Japanese to Bidopt measures and to consider practices repugnant alike to their individual feelings and their national policy. In this Formosa matter he departed for the first time from the line of conduct that he had apparently marked out for himself, and the result was the total failure of all his efforts to divert the government from its designs, and, which was more unfor- tunate, the destruction, by his own hands, of the ties of close relationship and paramount influence that were gradually becoming stronger and ' stronger between him and the people to whom he was accredited. What Mr. Bingham's motives may have been, no person can presume to say with confidence ; and it may be generous to him to suggest that, as the affair became complicated, and assumed phases that could hardly have been foreseen at the outset, they failed to be entirely clear to himself. It has been supposed by many who are in no respect unfriendly to him, and who are sincerely anxious to take the most favorable view of his action, that, having occupied so bold a position as he did in the advocacy of Japan- ese independence, and having on more than one occasion taken emphatic methods of declaring his convictions, he felt himself entitled to especial tokens of confidence, and was wounded and irritated by refusals to fully 1874. OFFICIAL OORRESPONDENGE. 85 acquaint him with the details of this important operation. The conjecture is not unreasonable, nor is it intended to reflect injuriously upon Mr. Bing- ham. If it really was one of his guiding motives he could hardly be expected to measure the lengths to which it might lead him, or to estimate precisely where his personal annoyance might begin or cease to act upon his official inspirations. Diplomatic representatives are mortal, and it is easily conceivable that an unfavorable prejudice, thus produced, might tend to create the very state of mind from which the supposed necessity for for authoritative interposition would spring. It is quite certain that Mr. Bing;- hara's dislike to the Formosa project was not based solely upon the connection of Americans with it. And it is equally certain that, at the beginning of the business, he showed no great reluctance to giving it his full sanction, as was evident by his telegram advising the transfer of Lieut. Commander Cassel to the Japanese sei-vice. When he commenced to oppose it with real vigor, he apparently knew no more about it than when he had vouch? «afed his good offices with the authorities at Washington. At the end of March he was in accord with the intentions of the Americans concerned. On the 18th of April, he wrote to the Japanese Foreign Office that he had read, in a Yokohama newspaper, certain statements which induced him to believe that a war against China was in contemplation. The journal referred to had always been notorious for the untrustworthiness of its intelligence in relation to Japanese affairs, and the idea of accepting its assertions in evidence of a proposed government action could not have been seiiously entertained by any person. It is not credible that Mr. Bingham was actually misled by it. He insisted however, upon an explanation, and received in answer a definite assurance that Japan was " far from entertain- " ing even the slightest intention of performing any hostile act against "China." This was in strict confirmation of the pledges previously given by Geneml Le Gtendre and Mr. Cassel, who had distinctly declaimed that no aggressive movements, as respected China, were included in the plan of 86 DISREOARD OF JAPANESE PLEDGES. May 23, operations. Thus Mr. Bingham had the positive avowals of the American gentlemen and of the Japanese government to weigh against the irrespon- sible accusation of a newspaper which was thoroughly well known to be entitled to no credit whatever. He did not choose to accept the former, and proceeded to issue the protest, alluded to in an earlier chapter, remon- strating against the employment of citizens of the United States until "the "written and authenticated consent of the Chinese government to the "expedition '* should have been obtained. It is possible that other influences had a share in jiersuading him to this action, but no evidence of them ap- peared. That he was ignorant of the independent position occupied by the savage tribes in Formosa and of the repeated declarations of Chinese officials to that effect, is sufficiently clear ; but that he was determined to continue ignorant of them, in spite of opporttmities for discovering the true state of affairs, is also apparent. A memorandum was given him by the Japanese Foreign Minister, indicating that the Chinese government had declared the savage territory to be beyond their control. Instead of following the course of inquiry suggested by this document, Mr. Bingham committed the singular error of utterly misrepresenting its purport in a despatch to his own government. He stated tnat the "jurisdiction of China " over "the island was admitted in the memorandum.** As a matter of truth, there was no such admission. On the contrary, it was very plainly stated that the authority of China extended over only " the northern and "a portion of the Western Coast.** It is not to be supjwsed that Mr. Bing- ham would have intentionally reversed the truth in so flagrant a manner as this, but the fact that he could so completely miscotistrue an explicit document, even by inadvertence, shows that his strong hostility to the movement had already made him disregardful of the caution with which an officical holding his position should have proceeded in a matter of such delicacy and grave importance. Another motive that has been atributed to Mr. Bingham by those 1874. THE QUESTION OF MOTIVES. 87 who are well disposed toward him is the anxiety he may really have felt lest American citizens should be beg\iiled into an enterprise wherein they might incur perils from which their government would not protect them. It appears evident that he had allowed himself to be convinced that the project Avas one which might be regarded as warlike by the Chinese govern- ment, and that the consent of China ought to have been procured before it was put into execution. For his persistence in accusing the Japanese of hostile designs against a friendly Power, after their absolute disavowal, it is difficult to find an excuse. But supposing him to be sincere in his belief, he may have held it to be his duty to extricate his fellow-citizens from the false position into which he erroneously supposed them to have been led, though at the risk of giving deep and unwarranted offence to the Japanese government. Even this alternative presents some awkward features. No- thing was brought forward to justify his determination to look upon the ex|>edition as a measure of war against China, after the unconditional dis- claimer of the Japanese government. Ignorance upon the subject can hardly be taken as sufficient palliation. As a matter of fact it was known in China at that time, by more than one officer of the United States^ that no jurisdiction over the Fomiosan savages was asserted by the Chinese government. As late as the 29th of May following, Mr. Williams, the Charge at Peking, wrote that the authorities of that capital did not look upon the landing of Japanese troops in Formosa as a declaration of war. It was not until the proceedings of Mr. Bingham and other foreign repre- sentatives became known that the Chinese government seized tlie idea of" putting forwanl a claim that they had not before thought of maintaining. But it is proper to admit that Mr. Bingham was undoubtedly sincere in his conviction, and that, in addition to his personal dissatisfaction with the scheme, he may have earnestly desired to relieve the Americans from the risks that he fancied they were rumiing. Viewed in this Hght, his inter- ference does not, indqed, take the apixjarance of a just or a dignified 88 DECISION OF OKUMA 8IGEN0BU. May 23, transaetion, but it has none of the utterly selfish and wanton character that distinguished the course of more tlian one foreign oflScial in the same direction. ^ Mr, Bingham misunderstood the position held by the Japanese and by their American employes. He did not, apparently, misunderstand his OAvn, for he never took active steps to impede their progress by virtue of his authority as United States' Minister. His efforts were confined solely to an attempt to persuade the Jajianese to dismiss them and to detach any American ships that might have been engaged. His protest had a different effect from what he foresaw, since, as has been explained, it was taken as carrying with it a much more ominous meaning than he could have possibly intended. The government at Tokio at once sent messages to the Com- missioners at Nagasaki, directing their chief to investigate and take such steps in the matter as seemed essential. They never directly ordered the dismissal of the Americans, as appeare to have been supposed by certain Japanese officials of rank as well as by Mr. Bingham. The responsibility devolving upon Okuma Sigenobu became extremely serious, and it is well known that he gave the subject the most anxious consideration. After consultation with the other members of the commission, he arrived at the conclusion that the engagements of the American officers in no way conflicted with the public law of nations — a conclusion that was afterward abundantly confirmed by the opinion of the State Department at Washington, as expressed in despatches from Mr. Fish to Mr. Bingham and to Consul-Greneral Seward, at Shanghai. "To constitute an offence," "said Mr. Fish, " there must be a purj)ose of carrying on war with a power " with which the United States are at peace, and the offender must cont^m- " plate taking part as a belligerent." That there was no such pui^pose of war was well enough known to every Japanese, and, since the formal declaration of the Chinese government that eTapan was justified in sending the expedition, is now probably apparent even to Mr. Bingham. The 1874. OKUBO TOSTMITI. 89 question was nevertheless many times discussed, with a complete apprecia* tion of the gijivity of the consequences involved. When it was known to be nearly decided, verbal orders were given by G-eneral Saigo to Messrs. Cassel and Wasson to be in readiness to start at an ai)pointed hour. Finally Greneral Le Gendre, perceiving the necessity of regulating every step at this juncture with the clearest precision, visited the ship upon which these gen- tlemen were stationed, to superintend the arrangements for departure, and also to take their \vritten orders back to the shore for the purpose of adding to them the endorsement of the chief commissioner. This formality, which was intended only to shield the departing officers from any possible charge of having proceeded upon insufficient authority, was carried out so far as obtaining the signature went, but, before the documents could be re- delivered, the arrangements for sailing were concluded, and it was thought advisable on board, in view of the delays already undergone, to start -at once, leaving the papers to be forwarded in due season, which was done at the earliest practicable opportunity. This otherwise unimportant incident is narrated at length to show the actual basis of the unwarranted accusa- tions, which were current at the time, that the American employes had left Nagasaki in violation of orders. Being now fairly committed to his policy of opposition, it was in- evitable that Mr. Bingham should endeavor in e^rery way to make good the stand he had assumed. His representations had become so urgent that it was thought expedient to send a special commissioner from Tokio, with advisor}' powers, to examine into the progress of the affair, and settle decisively all questions as to the propriety of the successive steps that had been tiiken. For this duty Okubo Tosimiti, a member of the Imperial Council, of equal rank with Okuma, was selected. The reputation of this officer for sobriety of judgment and fiim integrity had long been estab- lished. At a later j)eriod, it fell to his share to give still more convincing proofs of thene high qualities. On arriving at Nagasaki he at once applied 90 RESULT OF INVESTIGATIONS. May 23. himself to the work assigned, and in the course of a few ilays reported that the proceedings, thus far, were without a flaw. Every reasonable precaution had been taken to preserve the good faith and credit of the government. No officer connected with the enterprise had failed in a single detail of the tasks confided to him. He sanctioned and approved the immediate departure of General Saigo for the fulfilment of his principal duties. With regard to General Le G^ndre, the only doubt raised was whether he could l^est serve the purpose of the government by going to Formosa or by returning to Tokio. For various and obvious reasons, his inclination turned him toward Formosa, but it wa« mutually decided tliat, for the present, the capital would be his scene of most useful action. Thither he proceeded, followed presently by Okubo, whose immediate labors in the premises were now concluded. Okuma remained a while to adjust certain necessary afiiiirs of business, but, before the end of May, re- joined his associates at the ^eat of government. CHAPTER XVI. INCIDENTS OF THE RECENT ENCOUNTERS — SAVAGE CHIEFT.VINS SLAIN — TUB POLICY DECIDED UPON — INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEERS — QUESTIONABLE DIS- CIPLINE — TEMPER OF THE COAST VILLAGERS — ^EFFECT OF THE BOTAN DEFEAT UPON THE MOUNTAINEERS — \ WARLIKE INTERPRETER— EXCESSIVE llkAT — DIVERSIONS OF THE SOLDIERS. The presence of the Commander in Chief now rendered it desirable that the whole condition of affairs, as between the Japanese and the savage tribes, should be reviewed, and a distinct plan of dealing with them be set- tled uix)n. In the course of the consultations that began on the 23d of May, several circumstances were incidentally brought forward which had generally a direct bearing upon this main question, and which may be set down as they came under discussion, without j)articular order or regularity. One of the weapons which the Botans had left behind them in their hasty flight, and which ^vas picked up and brought into camp, was the gun of Alok, the chief of the tribe ; and it was presently discovered that he had been fatally wounded. Moreover, among the heads cut from the bodies of the slain, that of the chief's son had been identified. Here was an instance where a barbarous pr^tice was not wholly without advantage. The absolute certainty of the death of this young leader, who had been one of the most active and influential of his party, would naturally be of imix)rtance in future dealings with the natives. General Saigo, however, expressed his disapproval of this custom of decapitating dead bodies, and it was understood that there would be no repetition of it, although it had been a regular accompaniment of Jaj)anese warfare in all times. It would 92 NECESSITY FOR ACTION. May 23, probably not have been begun here at all, but for the example set by the Botans themselves, which incited the Satsuma men, especially, to retaliate in kind. The General took an early opportunity of giving new assurances tliat it had not been his desire that conflicts should take place with the savages, and that all reasonable means should have been taken to avert them ; but the events just preceding his arrival seemed to leave him no choice. He appi-oved the decision that had been agreed upon, several days before, that the first two attacks, when one soldier was killed and three others wounded, should be passed over for the present ; but felt that the third had been on rather too extensive a scale. If the Japanese should now pause, he conceived, their immobility might be taken as a sign of weakness, and the consequence might be an aggressive combination of many of the tribes. At this moment, only the Botans and their closest neighbors were known to be in antagonistic alliance. The assault upon the boat's crew of the " Nishin ' ' appeared to be a minor and independent affair. It was repeatedly recognized that the rashness of unauthorized individuals had brought about at least two of the serious encounters, but that was a fact which could not now be allowed to affect the position. Although no armed demonstration would have been sanctioned on the Japanese side, at this stage, if the aborigines had not led off in their own way, there would now be considerable difficulty in keeping the soldiers quiet for any length of time. It had become a question between a regular and organized campaign, which might go far toward finishing the business with a few decisive blows, and a Series of desultory excursions by small parties which would be just as likely to produce bad results, as good. The discipline of some followers of the force was rather doubtful, and the control over them was exercised rather by the personal influence of the Greneral than by the application of any strict rule. These were a body of semi-independent volunteers, mostly from Satsuma, and of somewhat superior rank to the meml)er8 of the 1874. INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEERS. 93 regularly enlisted body — ardent' seekers after martial fame, who seemed determined to be in the front whenever opportunity offered, and to make opportunities, if such did not arise of themselves in the natural order of events. It did not appear practicable to restrain them within any pre- scribed lines of action. There had been no orders, for example, on the 22d, when they made themselves prominent, to advance beyond the village that was to be disarmed, bnt it never entered their heads to stop untU they had had a sight of the enemy, and so they pushed forward, with or with- out leaders, as it might be. Then, of course, it was impossible to keep the others back. Many of the volunteers had won the red cap years before — a mark of honorable service in battle, — and the regulars were in quest of theirs. Under the circumstances, and especially in the difficult and ir- regular country through which they moved, officers and privates were, for the time, very nearly upon an equality. Probably it was not in situations like these that the value of the new military training of the* Japanese soldiers could be tested. The simplest and oldest-fashioned principles of warfare were the best for this region. For the work which was particularly needed, they had abundance of valor, but they were not •too highly gifted with the better part of that quality — discretion. When the Botans rose upon them, on the morning of the 22d, they had advanced to within thirty feet of the natural barricade that stretched across the river through which they were wading. The first discharge of the enemy was received without the slightest preparation, and then their natural instinct, rather than the re- collection of mihtary precepts, led them to the best way out of their difficulty. When the rattling of musketry, on this occasion, was heard in the camp^ re-enforcements at once started to the scene, as has been mentioned. A num- berof the inhabitants of the Liangkiao valley villages buckled on their rude weapons and expressed a deteimination to go and have a share in fighting the Botans. They were reminded that their assistance was by no means necessary, and moreover, that the Japanese were not yet fully familiar with 94 UNIVERSAL HATRED OF THE BOTANS. May 23, the difference between their appearance and that of the savages, from which ignorance unpleasant consequences might arise if they were seen flying about with arms in their hands. So they concluded to stay at home. It seems probable that this little ebullition was sincere, for the Botans were looked upon as natural enemies by all their neighbors. They were by far the most powerful tribe of the peninsula, and were on terms of close al- liance with only their immediate neighbors. I heard from some of the former occupants of deserted hamlets near the place of the skirmish — ^men who naively admitted that they were afraid to remain in their old homes because the Japanese would take them for confederates of the Botans, while the Botans would take them for confederates of the Japanese, so that they would be sure to be killed any way, — ^that they could live in peace only on condition of paying frequent and exhausting tribute to all the members of • that tribe who chose to demand it. There was no doubt that Isa's subjects were bitterly opix)sed to them, as were, likewise, the majority of all the people of the Southern peninsula. On the evening of the 22d, messages came in from the " head-men *' of Hongkang, a Chinese-speaking, but inde- pendent, village six or seven miles north of Liangkiao Bay, beseeching an alliance and asking to have their settlement taken, as well as that of Sialiao, as a place of occupation. There was no lack of friendly advances, from many quarters, as soon as the news of the defeat of Alok had spread around. The wary Isa sent a communication to the effect that, notwithstanding his first refusal, he had determined to pay a visit to the camp, and bring with him a few presents — ^bullocks, fowls, etc. — ^that he had selected from his farms ; but he was apprehensive, since the troubles had broken out, that he might be mistaken for an enemy, and brought to grief unwittingly. He therefore proposed to send the cattle forward, and come himself at a later period. As an illustration of the impulses with which some of the independent volunteers, above alluded to, took part in the active business of the expedi- tion, I will mention the case of a young interpreter whose performances 1874. AMATEUR WARFARE. 95 fell within my own obeervatiou. He was* a native of Hizen, the province in which the late Japanese rebellion occurred, (February, 1874,) and many of his family and friends were concerned in that ill-advised outbreak. Some of them committed suicide, and he himself fell under suspicion, and was closely watched, in Tokio, for a time. Knowing this, and longing for an opportunity to prove his fidelity to the government, he asked for and re- ceived an appointment as one of the translators for this expedition. He felt confident, although his functions were those of a non-combatant, that he could find or make an occasion for giving some sign of personal de- votion. A day or two after his arrival, he began to lay plans for private enterprises, one or two of which he carried into efiect, somewhat to the annoyance of his superiors. It was he who led off a party of explorers on the 12th, and he also, after the murder of the Satsuma man, on the 17th, went inland, on his own account, to look into the affair. At last the for- ward movement of the 22d gave him' his chance. He started ofi^ with hLs rifle and plenty of ammimition, forgetting, his coat and hat in his eager- ness to get to the front. Being observed, and asked what he was about, he replied that he guessed he was out deer-hunting — a bit of pleasantry suggested by experiences in Yezo, where he had long resided. That was the last seen of him until he came into camp at nightfall, bringing three heads with him. I regret to say that he had cut them off himself. I suppose it would not be fair to regret that he had killed their owners, the work of destruction being a foregone conclusion, and he having so much more to gain — at least from his point of view — ^than any of his associates, by taking a prominent part in the day's work. On the 23d, the heat again set in with great severity, but most of the men who had been prostrated by it at first were now recovered. The pros- pect of brisk action apjieared to have revived them. The wounded of the 22d were disposed of in a fairly, but not yet sufficiently well, appointed hospital, and bore their injuries with the fortitude for which the Japanese 96 COMFORTS OF THE CAMP. May 23. are justly distinguiBhed. All but one of them eventually recovered. They were thoroughly well provided, •as was indeed, the entire camp, with material comforts. The Japanese soldier is a Sybarite, compared with the average European man-at-arms. I have already described how, in Formosa, he was relieved from the fatiguing labors of the field and even of the effort of cooking his food. He was not even obliged to go in search of his meals. They were brought around to the tents, by coolies, at the appointed hours. His supply of victuals was extravagantly profuse, and quantities were wasted every day. He had rations of beer, and of spirits if he needed them. For his comfort when not on duty, he was suppHed with loose cot- ton robes and straw slippers, which were issued to all, ujwn demand. He ought to have been happy, and I believe he was, for a merrier little army never made day and night lively with jests and songs. Nine-tenths of it was made up of very young men, from twenty to twenty-five years of age. Their placability, except when in pursuit of the enemy, was uninterrupted, and a quarrel was a thing undreamed of. They had one great cause of happiness in their proximity to the sea and rivers, in which they could bathe a dozen times a day. The national anxiety for personal cleanliness was thus easily gratified. The general cleanliness of the camp wsw not so well provided for. Sanitary rules, if any existed, were wofully disregarded, and there was already danger to be apprehended from the masses of refuse and oflal that was allowed to collect among and around the groups of tents; But as this evil lay in the future, it was not taken into consideration by the soldier, who passed his time in slumber, contests of light repartee, a variety of social sports and occasional diversions of a more muscular kind, such as running and wrestling matches. The sands were crowded almost every evening to witness exhibitions of this latter popular exercise. CHAPTER XVII. SECOND CONFERENCE WITH ISA AND OTHER CIUEFB — THE BEARING OF THE SAVAGE LEADER — OVERESTIMATED STRENGTH OF SOUTHERN TRIBES — CON- DITIONS OF AMICABLE INTERCOURSE — ^A FAIR COMPACT — ^EXCHANGE OF PRESENTS. A SECOND interesting interview with the chief Isa and a number of his con- federate leaders took place on the evening of May 25th under the following circumstances. The messenger who came in from the mountains on the 22d, announcing the desire of the ruler of the most important of the Southern tribes to visit the camp, and, at the same time the apprehensions in regard to his safety which preveijttd him from doing so, was directed to return with an answer to the effect that the Japanese officers had displayed their confidence in Isa's good faith by going, unattended, to the borders of his territory, and that they expected the same trust to be shown by him ; that if he chose to come, at any time of day or night that suited him, he should be well received, and orders would be given to withdraw the soldiers from the place that should be selected as a rendezvous, so that he need meet none of them; that there were several reasons why his presence was now desired, not the least of which was the wish to communicate to him, personally, the intentions of the Japanese concerning the hostile tribes, and finally, that if he was too distrustful to accejit the promises of protection that were sent him, his presents could not be received. The messenger intimated that a response of this sort had been expected, and that Isa was prepared to come to Sialiao, if he could be certain of an authorized in- vitation ; and, if Miya would go out to bring him, he would appear without 7 98 SECOND VIEW OF ISA. May 25, delay. Accordingly, Miya was despatched on the 24th. He returned at night, saying that the chief would have come with him but for the heavy rain that had fallen all day, which made it difficult to drive forward the cattle he intended as gifts, and that he might be expected on the 25th. At nine o'clock, the next evening, word was brought that he had amved, and was waiting on the other side of the river >vith lialf a dozen attendants, a larger body of his warriors having stopped at the outskirts of the village. The two generals, Saigo and Tani, Admiral Akamatsu, the American officei-s and a few others at once went out of camp and proceeded to Miya's house in Sialiao, in the interior courtyard of which, dimly lighted, the group of natives sat on benches, awaiting the conference. Either because the novelty of meeting with foreigners had now worn away and left him more at ease, or because the excitement of his individ- ual responsibility was less here than in the interior, at the head of his war- riors, Isa certainly appeared to much better advantage than on the occasion of the former interview. He was tranquil, composed and dignified. There was not a trace of agitation about him from beginning to end, and, while he betrayed no servile eagerness to accept the alliance offered him, he was equally free from any exhibition of excessive confidence or defiance. I am bound to say that no man in his position could have demeaned himself better than he did — ^with more self respect or with a more careful consideration of the interests dependent upon him. The occasion was undoubtedly one of great solemnity to him and his companions. For the first time in his life he found himself confronted by stmngers who, instead of recognizing his supremacy, were prepared to dispute it if necessaiy. Until this mo- ment, he had probably never Imown what it was to exercise the least restraint upon his instincts or his passions. But the past few days had been full of severe, though indirect lessons. The foreigners had met one of his own race with a troop of followers, and had defeated and scattered them with heavy losses. Alok, a rival chieftain, formerly one of his own confederation. 1874. • EXCESSIVE ESTIMATE 01 TRIBES. 99 ky dead within a few miles of the central village of Southern Formosa. It would certainly not have been a matter for surprise to us, if Isa had ab- solutely refused to hold further communication, and retreated to his mountain fastnesses, on the one hand, or presented himself in an attitude of abject submipsion, on the other. For it was how becoming apparent that the strength of these savage tribes had been greatly overestimated, and that they really existed only in tens where they had been extravagantly counted in hundreds and even thousands. How the word " tribe," which I now use rather from habit than from present belief in its accuracy, first came to be employed in conjaection with the inhabitants of this region, I cannot explain ; but it certainly conveys a very erroneous impression to the Western mind. A tribe in Southern Formosa, means, as a rule, simply the occupants of a single village, and it is unusual to find any one of these containing more than a couple of liundred inhabitants. When questions of this sort began to arise, the absence of General Le Gtendre was very severely felt. He alone had become, by antecedent ex- perience, thoroughly familiar with most of them, and, as no doubt had originally existed respecting his personal participation in the expedition, it had not been thought necessary for others to burden themselves with a mass of detail the practical application of which, even if it had been completely mastered, would still have be^n a difficult task. Now there was no other course but to go over the whole ground anew, and to re-gather, from such Sources as we could command, the very information which he had obtained, under more advantageous circumstances, several years before. About this time, we were beginning to receive intelligence which satisfied us that the entire population of the region formerly understood to be under Tokitok's control could not exceed three thousand. Even this, thei'e was reason to believe, might be an excessive estimate. The number of effective inen at Isa's disposal, calculating upon this basis, would be very small, and the hopelessness of any attempt on his part to withstand a series of assaults 100 COMPACT WITH THE CHIEFS. May 25, must have been perfectly clear to him. But, as I have said, his demeanor expressed no tinge of trepidation, and the only striking peculiarity of his bearing was the intense seriousness which seems nalural to hun. In at- titude, gesture and speech he was as simple and straightforward, and also as completely self possessed, as the most thoroughly tutored man of the world could have been. The minute details of the conversation, with its frequent and inevit- able repetitions and divergencies, would have no interest for the general reader. On the part of the Japanese, it was desired that Isa should signify his friendliness by promising not to harl)or or protect the Botans in any manner, and to hold as prisoners any fugitives that might escape into his territory ; by allowing the Jajmnese free circulation among his villages, and such intercourse with his j)eoi)le as might become necessary during their expeditions to the interior ; by sternly admonishing the Koalut and other tribes that had shown signs of animosity, of the danger they were incurring, and by making such arrangements in the settlements along the coast as. would enable ships to anchor immolested, and their crews to go on shore for water or provieions. These were the only demanda presented, and the chief was repeatedly assured that whatever force the Japanese might bring to Formosa, and however powerful they might prove themselves against their enemies, they would ask nothing of their allies but these few and neces- sary evidences of a friendiy disposition. On the other hand, the Japanese proposed to guarantee immunity to the peojile for whose good behavior Isa would answer by issuing jxipcrs of protection to their "head men," and by sending them flags with certiiiu inscriptions, the display of which would prevent all aggressions from the soldiers. In response, Isa readily agreed to the several requests, in a nmnner that implied a sense of their modera- tion, and in one or two instaiicos went voluntarily far beyond the require- ments in his offers" of co-operation. He said, for example, that, everything having now been made clear to liim, he would sanction the free admission 1874. THE SAVAGE DIALECT. lOl of the soldiers and sailors wherever they needed to go ; that he did not believe the Koalut or any other tribes would hereafter oppose them, but if they did, he would himself come into the camp, guide the Japanese to the treacherous region, and assist them in punishing the breach of faith to the extent of utter extermination, if it must be. He objected, however, to visits from the inhabitants of the villages of the west coast, saying that he could not have any dealings with them and that their presence would lead to endless quarrels. He was, in return, assured that there was no intention of forcing these or any other unwelcome intruders upon him, and that there would certainly be no interference in any of their local disagreements. With regard to the Botans, he signified an entire willingness to see them all ex- tirpated, together with their unnily neighlx>rs, the Kusukuts. It appeared to be eRtablislu^d beyond a doubt that these two tribes were actually of the eigliteen over which Tolritok had been 8upj>osed to rule, and that they did at one time form part of the confederation ; for, in accei)ting the offer of the flags, Isa said that he should require only sixteen, that being the mmiber of villages now within his influence ; — the other two he left to the Japanese. TliC conference lasted about two houi*s. During the whole of it, the native chiefs, of whom there were ftmr besides the leader and spokesman, sat upon one line of benches, while the i)rincij)al Jajxinese and American officers occupied another line, o])|x»site to and parallel with them. The interpreter Johnson, who was a treasure of intelligence and acuteness, stood at one end, nearest to the speakei-s. All that was said in English was translated by him into Chinese, which language, it now apjieai'ed, was understood bv Isa, though he could not use it. He nodded at the end of each sentence, to signify his comprehension of the meaning, and gave his answers in the stninge rapid and guttural accents of his own speech. It seems to be a language the sounds of which are produced almost entirely by the throat and tongue, hardly requiring any movement of the lips. While he was talking most emphatically^ the musoles of his mouth were 102 EXCHANGE OF PRESENTS. BIay 25, ' motionless, and it was often a question, in the partial obscurity, whether he or one of his companions was speaking. Whatever he said was put into Chinese by one or another of his attendants, and thence into English by Johnson. His associates took very little part in the discussion. One of them showed considerable confusion when the recent misbehavior of the Koaluts was spoken of, and it turned out that he, though not the actual head of that tribe, was a sort of responsible agent for two or three villages, of which Koalut was one. He endeavored to excuse the discharge of the fire arms at the time of the " Nishin's *' visit, and, I believe, declared that the Japanese had mistaken the shooting of birds, by some boys, for a hostile attack. It was not thought desirable to examine into the question at this particular time. One request Isa had to make on his side. He stated that the settlement belonging to his people which lay nearest to the scene of the recent skirmish had been entered by soldiers and coast inhabitants, and some of the houses destroyed, in consequence of which the people had fled to the mountains. He wished the troops to be particularly notified that the village in question was not a fair object of attack. It was explained to • him that this, as well as certain adjoining places, had been suspected of giving aid to the Botans ; but that if he would be answerable for them, and it should be found they had been unjustly treated, they should not only be protected but should receive ample compensation. All matters of business having been adjusted, the chiefs were now notified that General Saigo had some presents to ofier them, which were duly brought in and distributed. They consisted of two superb Ja^)anese swords, packages of silk, woollen and cotton cloths, and a variety of what we should call " fancy goods.'* They were not received with much warmth, but that was rather to be attributed to awkwardness, I imagine, than to indifference. In return they handed over their gifts of dressed skins and live chickens, mentioning that the cattle were waiting outside and would be delivered in the morning. A few tubs of Japanese " sake " were added 1874. A LATE DEPARTURE. 103 to the endowments of the aborigines, half a dozen cups of Chinese " sam-shu '' were lianded around, and the meeting ended, a little after mid- night. Isa was invited to remain /mother day, and be shown over the camp, but he said his people would be anxious, and that he felt bound to start for home immediately. He promised, however, to return before many days. CHAPTER XVIII. PROJECTED MARCH INTO THE INTERIOR — DIFFICULTIES OF TH*: UNDERTAKING —ESTIMATED FORCE OF THE SAVAGE TRIBES — ^INACCURACY OF ANTECEDENT REPORTS — ^POLITICAL RELATIONS OF THE VARIOUS CHIEFS. The matter next taken in hand was the arrangement of a plan for pen- etrating the interior from several directions, with the design of driving the hostile savages from all their principal posts, seizing their strongholds, and occupying the avenues of commimication throughout the southern part of the island. The difficulties in executing this scheme, it was presently- found, would arise from the inaccessible character of the countiy to be traversed and not from the numbers of the enemy likely to be encountered. It gradually became more and more certain that not only the extent of the* population, but also the jx)litical organization of Southern Formosa, had been greatly misapprehended. The disadvantages under which most visilora and explorers had hitherto labored were in many respects easily accounted for, and it was no matter of wonder that much of the information gathered by them should turn out untrustworthy. The Chinese-speaking natives of the west coast had supplied most of the details, and, apart from the fact that not one of them had ever been allowed to circulate freely in the interior, and that therefore their sources of intelligence were scanty, it always suited their purposes to exaggerate the strength of the race which, while inferior in numbers, held them in a condition of constant terror. The opportunities of foreigners for personal observation liad been few, and the results of the visits of Messrs. Pickering and Hughes and General Le Gendre were, unfortunately, not now available, owing to the latter's continued absence. 1874. ESTIMATE OF SAVAGE NUMBERS. 105 As our own inquiries proceeded, it seemed that the representations of the Liangkiao inhabitants were entitled to a reasonable degree of credit. They were convinced that the Japanese had come with a settled determination to scour the country in search of their enemies, and that sooner or later the truth must be known ; and they were not without apprehensions as to the consequences in case they should be detected in any attempt at decep- tion. With a view to the operations now contemplated, particular inquiries were set on foot, especially to ascertain the fighting force of all the tribes and the position of the various villages, at least approximately. According to the estimates of the " head men ** of the settlements in Liangkiao valley the eighteen tribes possessed, at the time of the arrival of the Japanese, 2,360 effective men, distributed as follows : — Boten 253 Pakolut lop BaJ** 90 Sawali 220 Siapuli 142 Peigu 86 Kusukut 190 0.mantao 130 Tuilasok 74 Mantsui 175 Loput 126 Koatan 60 Kuolulai 165 Chinakai 120 Chioksia 53 Patingi 160 Lingluan 114 Koalut 50 There is reason to believe that this calculation was still excessive, and its extreme minuteness made it open to suspicion ; but it seemed to have been made with sufficient good intention, and it was undoubtedly more nearly exact than any that had previously been offered.* Only the people of Botan and Kusukut were positively known to be in arms against the Japanese. A few other villages were sup}X)sed to be to some extent allied and in sympathy with them ; but this was not absolutely known to be the * I Hrierward iiad tlie opportunity o^ oomparlug this estimate with one made by General Le Gendre in 1869, whose information, npirt from that supplied by bis own observations, was gathered from tlie travellers. Messrs/ Pickering and Horn. He fixed the entire savage population, exclusive of ** Amiyjis," at 2335, wliich was undoubtedly exact or nearly so at the time It is possible tiiat the hostile tribes, on learning of the Japanese expedition, may have called in to their assistance the warriors who had emigrated northward from their villages in former years, and thus temporarily increased their number to something approaching the figures above given. But as a whole they are undoubtedly excessive, although probably not, in this init«noO| ntended to be bo bj onr infonnants. 106 POWER OF VARIOUS TRIBES. May 26, case. It is quite as probable that they were merely holding themselves aloof until further events should show them more clearly on wliich side their interest lay. Supposing the statement of our Liangkiao informants to be correct, there could hardly be more than 375 or 400 men to be overcome, for it was known that tliirty were killed on the 22d of May, or died afterward from wounds then received, and that several others were disqualified for future hostile action. The number seemed insignificant enough, especially when the imperfection of their weapons was considered ; but their real strength was in the natural barriers that guard the approaches to their country. They themselves believed these to be insurmountable, and were confident that their inner strongholds were completely inaccessible. Although there are good grounds for doubting the precise figures, it is probable that the relative force of the different tribes was accurately represented ; and, if this be so, it will be a surprise to those who have cared to follow all that has come to light in recent years respecting the occupants of this almost unknown region, to find that some of the most redoubted among them are comparatively inferior in numbers. Thus the Koalut villagers, with whom the tragedy of the " Rover " and the unfruitful ex- pedition of the " Hartford " and the "Wyoming " are associated, were set down as fewer than any of the others. Tokitok, who, during the latter part of his life, was acknowledged to hold a certain supremacy over the whole of the southern i)eninsula, was only "head man " of Tuilasok, one of the smallest hamlets. These apparent anomalies were explained, after a fashion, by assurances that the extremely warlike character of the Koaluts had given them a particularly dangerous reputation, and that Tokitok had l^eculiar administrative qualities, which secured for him un elevation to which his actual power did not entitle him. As far as he was concerned this is very likely to have been the case, for it was now clearly seen that none of the general influence or control once exercised by him had de- scended to his son. With regard to the Koaluts, the distinction they have 1874. NEW FACTS ELICITED. 107 « gained is, probably, a matter of accident. If the "Rover" had been wrecked nearer any other part of the coast the result would have been the same, and the particular tribe into whose liands the survivors might have fallen would then have become the most notorious for the time. It will, in fact, be necessary to dismiss altogether a great part of the information about this district which has hitherto been accepted as tolerably authentic. Even the dominion of Tokitok was by no means so fixed or so general a^ has been commonly supposed. The submission of the Botans to his rule, in former times, which had come to be i-egarded as one oT the safe histori- cal facts of the locality, now began to be disputed, and the whole con- federacy, as it has been called for the sake of convenience, to be newly described as a mere accidental and occasional union for casual purposes? and not a regularly organized league in any sense. Even the supremacy of Isa, the Sawali leader, was finally represented as not due to any rights bequeathed or entrusted to him by Tokitok, but solely to his position as the chief of the most gonsiderable tribe, excepting the Botans, in the neighborhood. If the general tenor of this later intelligence were to be taken as more trustworthy than that at first received, neither he nor any other "head man*' had real and undisputed power outside of his own village, or cluster of villages. CHAPTER. XIX. PLAN OF THE PROPOSED EXCURSION — ^HBAVY RAIN STORMS — SLEEPING UNDER UMBRELLAS — COMMERCIAL SPIRIT OF THE LIANGKIAO N.VTIVES — METHODS OF INTERCOURSE — ^THB LAST OF THE BALD-HEADED AGITATOR — DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING GUIDES — ^A UNITED STATES SHIP IN DANGER. While the new investigations showed that the number of the savages to be encountered had been too highly estimated, it also revealed that the difficulties of reaching the interior would be' far greater than had ever been calculated upon. This intelligence did not at all change the inten- tions of the Japanese officers, but it was recognized as diminishing the chances of effecting a large capture of the enemy. The first and most imi)ortant result looked for was the acquisition of a more complete knowl- edge of the roads and passes and the geneml topography of the country « than anybody in the neighborhood possessed or was willing to give. If any seizures of the enemy could be made at the same time, that would be an additional advantage ; but I think that no person calculated ui>on this excepting, possibly, one or two enthusiasts. To gain the needed knowledge of the Botan and Kusukut region and the approaches thereto it was finally arranged that three columns should be sent out, with instmctions .to con- centrate in the heart of the hostile locality. The routes which they were to follow and the general scheme of the operations were carefully and clearly laid down, and the departure was fixed for the Ist of June. It would have been at an earlier day but for the heavy rains that had again begun to faU on the 24th, making the roads almost impassable and swelling the rivers so that it was extremely dangerous to ford them. Even in the camp, 1874. RETURN OF BAD WEATHER. 109 we were subject to much discomfort and annoyance. The storms of this region are pecuKar, so far as my observation goes, in the fact that they come on with great suddenness, rage with fury for two or three hours and then give way in the day time to an intolerable heat, which lasts about an hour, and is followed by a new deluge. At night it is the same, except that the alternations of heat are omitted. No tent could withstand the torrents, and the idea of. expecting any protection from canvas coverings was abandoned very early in the campaign. Such of us as had umbrellas used them uninterruptedly, for the sun pierced the tents as easily as the water poured through them. We even slept under umbrellas — when we slept at all — which, I fancy, is an experience not common in camps in any other part of the world. Signs of clear weather did not appear until the first of June. For some time before that date, our days did not contain more than three serviceable hours each. These were improved by the villagers of* the vicinity in various friendly demonstrations toward the soldiers, chiefly tending to the establishmeut of commercial intercourse. They discovered thiit they possessed sundry marketable productions, and an unexpected spirit of mercantile enterprise animated them in consequence. I regret to say that a certain strong liquor, distilled from sweet potatos, fount I the readiest sale of all their goods, with results not always creditable to the purchasers, and sometimes distressing to friendly lookers-on. These peddling visitors made the camp very lively with theii^ numerous cries, which they chanted as naturally as if they had passed a long apprenticeship in Loudon or New York, although it did not seem possible that they had ever enjoyed the occasion to engage in such traffic before. In addition to their mischievous "sam-shu,*' they brought candies, cakes, eggs, poultry, fish and sweet potatoes. Occasionally a basket of bananas or pine-apples appeared, but these were importations from the North, not being cultivated just here. There was no difficulty of communication between the residents 110 COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. May 27, and the Japanese, as the former coiild write Chinese characters to a limited extent, and the Chinese, being a symbolical language, is miiversal in its application. English or French may as well be written in Chinese characters as the dialect of Confucius and the Classics ; and, as the Japan- ese adopted these symbols ages ago, they had only to tsace their thoughts on paper, — or in the sand, which was more common,— to be immediately understood. Of course the spoken language of each was unintelligible to the other, and it was droll enough to see how this comprehension by the eye and want of comprehension by the ear puzzled the natives. I am half inclined to think that many of them looked upon it as a fiction and a pretence, for they would talk incessantly through all their transactions, while the Japanese, naturally, did not utter a sound. It was always in- teresting, as well as amusing, to see the soldiers and the merchants, at the critical point of a bargain, run to a vacant square yard of sand, brush it smooth, and signify the respective conditions of purchase and sale with the ends of their fingers. Sometimes they would write imaginary signs on their bare hands, and in such cases, a curious operation of mere instinct would generally follow. A word having been indicated, and understood by the observer simply through following the movement of the finger, the writer would brush away the supix)sititious outline from his palm before proceeding with his next phantom syllable. The Liangkiao populace had by this time almost entirely abandoned the distrustful and somewhat inimical attitude which they chose to assume on our first arrival. They had also relin- quished the expectation of becoming millionaires in the twinkling of a pig- tail. Most of them now announced themselves ready to work, at rates not absolutely monstrous, in any way that might be required of them. Even the shaven-headed agitator, of whose eccentric alternations from wrath to rapture I have once or twice spoken, began to pale his ineifectual fire and wandered about among the tents, inviting attention with docile smiles and plaintive cries, to the wares which he carried in two capacious baskets. 1874. THE LAST OF A NOTABLE CHARACTER. Ill The last time I saw him roused to a demonstration of fury was under cir- Gimistances which I may briefly narrate before taking a final leave of him. It occurred to him one day, about the middle of May, that it would be an excellent thing for hini to go out in a boat and inspect the ships that lay anchored a mile or so from the shore. I happened to be on board the " Yuko Mam *' at the moment he came alongside. His countenance be- tokened a vague sort of interest, but nothing like complete approval of the proportions and appointments of that neatly modelled craft. Suddenly, his contiguity not being suspected, a mass of rubbish was sent over the side of the ship, part of which alighted upon his glistening crown. It is impos- sible to picture the flash of fantastic ferocity that instantly lighted up his grotesque features. He sprang up the side of the vessel, and, not finding the offender close at hand, ran to the captain's room, evidently with a full relation of his wrongs at his tongue's end. The Captain is a devotee to the American game of "solitaire,*' in the deepest intricacies of which he was absorbed at the moment. The injured Sialiaoan planted himself in a fine eCttitude at the door and his mouth was already open for the outflow of the torrent of eloquence with which he was charged, when his eyes fell upon the cards. Evidently, he had never seen pasteboard kings and queens before. Here, indeed, was something truly worthy of his admiration. His anger faded as suddenly as it had flamed, and although, so far as I could discern, every lineament remained fixed and unaltered in position, the whole expression of his face was abruptly changed to one of intensest de- light. Here, at last, was something to satisfy the longings 'of his soul — something higher and brighter than Gatling guns, and more thrilling than sweet-potatu riots. All his sorrows were forgotten and for half an hour he stood and gazed in silent satisfaction and then retired pensive ; — convinced at last, I make little doubt, that the civilization of the West had elements in which even the native of Formosa might find a charm. There was much difficulty in securing guides for the movement in the 112 THE PROJECTED ADVANCE. May 29, interior on account of the universal dread of the savages felt by the half caste villagers who alone were partially familiar with the mountains, and still greater difficulty in obtaining any satisfactory idea as to distances and the time required to pass from one point to another. These people had no standards of measurement which would meet our requirements. They said that being " outside of China they never had any mandarins here to tell " them what a U is," And as they have no reckoning of time except the very simplest and rudest, even the periods of departure could only be con- jecturally fixed. The best they could do was to say that such a journey occupied them half a day or a whole day as the case might be, and that, starting from one village after breakfast, another might be reached before dinner. Obviously this was not the sort of foundation upou which a del- icate strategetic operation should be based, and for this reason alone, if for no other, any attempt to surround the Botans by a flank movement would have been futile, such operations demanding the most accurate adjustments of time and space. But there was another and perhaps a stronger reason. The Japanese, in spite of their years of study under foreign military in- structors, have not yet reached the point of managing an attack that is to any extent complicated. What the causes of this incai>acity may be I can- not say. It may be that the configuration of their own country is so little suited, as a rule, to extensive field operations that they do not rec- ognize the value of broad principles of strategy. In almost every other department of science that they have imdertaken to master thay have shown an admirable rapidity of acquirement. But in war, as a rule, they have not progressed far beyond the principles laid down by Fritz in the " Grande Duchesse,*' of striking the enemy as hard as they can, wherever they find him, and crushing him by sheer pluck and resolution. I must say, however, that it is impossible to conceive of greater vigor and more splen- did daring than they exhibit, in their own straightforward way, as often as they get the opportunity. 1874. THE MONOCACY IN LIANGKIAO BAY. 113 In the extension of their sociiil relations the Japanese would not, after the 25th of May, confine themselves to the inhabitants of the immediate locality in which they were stationed. The intelligence of the visit of Isa and his companions, on that date, was circulated, and several youug officers straightway went out — as usual, on their own independent acccount — ^to his village of Sawali, far in the interior. They reported, on returning, that they had been treated with every consideration, and that they were in no way molested, although dissuaded from proceeding further. The United States steamship " Monocacy ' * appeared in the harbor on the morning of May 29th, but sailed away after a few hours without com- municating with the shore. The' sea was not heavy, and the breeze was far from strong, but it was from the west, and only a single vessel of the Jajianese fleet had ventured to remain anchored. All the others steamed off to safer regions as rapidly as possible. The "Monocacy'* was, un- doubtedly, at one moment in considerable danger — a fact which may serve to indicate the probable perils of Liangldao Bay in really serious weather. Her visit was intended only for observation, and she brought as a passenger the U. S. Consul for Amoy. On that gentleman's account it is especially to be regretted that no opportunity for landing was afforded. He would have gained a knowledge of the existing state of facts that might have saved him from the commission of serious errors at a later day. 8 CHAPTER XX. IMPERFECTION OF MAPS OF FORMOSA — MOVEMENT TO THE INTERIOR — HEAVY ROADS AND DIFFICULT RIVER PASSAGES — SOLDIERS DROWNED — THREE COLUMNS ON THE MARCH — ^LABORIOUS PRlXJRESS — CAMPAKJNING IN NIGHT DRESS — APPROACH TO THE STONE GATE. It is, I presume, understood that there are no authentic maps of Formosa in existence. The southern peninsula, in jmrticular, remains to this day an entirely unknown region excepting to those who have personally visited it. A few attemps have been made to note the prominent features of the country, and even to indicate the localities of some of the villages occupied by the different tribes, but these have been only pirtially successful. As a matter of fact, not even the outlines of the coast have ever beoii ac- curately laid down. These outlines are, indeed, subject to such continual and rapid changes, especially in the neighborhood of river mouths, that no permanent reliance can be placed uix)ii any map, in this particular, however carefully prepared. A few years are often sufficient to alter the character of the coast to an extent which navigatois would consider extremely se- rious. The variations that have been wrought by the action of a coujJc of centuries are extraordinary. The ancient Dutch fort, Zelandia, for exam- ple, was built upon a small island, between which and the body of Formosa a deep channel inten'ened, in 1630. This channel has now entirely dmp- peared, and the island, the original Taiwan, the Chinese name of which was aftenvard applied to the whole region, lias ceased, as such, to exist. The chart compiled by Geneml Le Gendre in 1870, which is commonly accepted as the most authentic extant, docs not pretend to absolute preci- °K>iiiirim> 1 ("liil i « Kv.«» -^^' \'V SieJl'jI.L Clim I « III lliurti JfTAnl tiat» ■^ \ nsiioiuiCflii.p n • L • — u''^\litM \ 1874. MARCH TO THE INTERIOR. 115 sion with respect to all the details of the region witli which the Japanese expedition is identified, I have already endeavored to explain some of the difficulties that lie in the way of forming any acq^iaintance with the inte- rior, and I am well aware of the hopelessness of any effort at present to give a thoroughly correct idea of the positions of the aboriginal settlements on the eastern coast and in the interior. Nevertheless, for the better un- (lerstanding of the movements that took place, an attempt is made in the accompanying rough plan, to designate the relative situations of the most important among them, according to such information as could be obtained from the most intelligent of the Chinese-sjxiaking inhabitants. It is merely a suggestion of outline, and of courae there can just now be no thought of illustrating the topography of the district. The expedition to Botan and Kusukut began on the Ist of June, with the departure of about five hundred trooiw for Hongkang, a settlement some six miles to the north of our own j^sition. On the morning of this day, the rain was still at its heaviest, and there was much doubt as to whether the full plan of operations could be carried out. The current of the swollen rivers was so violent that, at the first ford, one of the Japanese was carried away and drowned. The rest of the force reached Hongkang in the afternoon, without disaster. No encounter with the natives had heen anticipated, for the shore is occupied entirely by the descendants of the Chinese colonists, who looked upon the Japanese with perfectly friendly, though somewhat speculative, eyes. The "head-men " of Hongkang had long before come into camp, and urged the officers to make that place a base of operations, as well as Sialiao. Hongkang, it shoidd be understood, is totally independent of China ; the pmctical authority of which empire extends only as far south as Pongli, some twenty-five miles distant. During the night of the 1st, the rain gradually ceased, and the morn- ing was as bright and clear as any we liad seen — ^too bright and clear for comfort, for the sun blazed out with an intensity which seemed likely to i 116 DISPOSITION OF THE FORCES. June 2, make rapid compensation for its long irregularities. Soon after dawn, the second jiarty, of about three hundred, started eastward for the "Stone Gate ' ' — ^the scene of the skirmish of May 22d. The departure ©f their advance-guard, which took place the afternoon before, was marked by an- other fatal accident. A soldier was drowned in almost the same place as that of the previous day's mishap. This detachment reached its first point at noon, and remained there, or in the neighborhood, for a few hours. The third column, numbering four hundred men, left the camp also on the morning of the 2nd, and marched to the south-weot toward Chiksia. The general purpose of these combined advances was as follows: The head-quarters of the hostile tribes were known to be Botan and Kusukut. A few tributary settlements in their neighborhood were believed to be held by their men, and it was tolerably well ascertained that the northern roads, as far as Ninai, were in their possession. The duty assigned to the Hong- kang forcCj under General Tani, was to proceed to Ninai, starting before sunrise on the 2nd, and descend as rapidly as possible to Botan. The Chiksia colunm, under Admiral Akamatsu, was to move upon Kusukut. The central body, which was led by General Saigo, was to pass over the difficult road from the *' Stone Gate *' to either Kusulcut or Botan, as might be desirable. This road, which is, in fact, nothing but the roughest kind of a mountain-pass, was known to be not only full of natural impediments, but also to have been artificially obstructed by the enemy ; circumstances which account for the greater length of time allowed for it to reach its destination. For various reasons, the foreign officers attached to the expedition accompanied the last-named detachment. They went, I believe, as spectators only, with no design of sharing in the more active proceedings that might ensue. I chose that route, chiefly from a desire to examine with some closeness the scene of the conflict of the 22nd of May, which I had become familiar with from only one side. The march, from the out- 1874. DESHABILLE CAMPAIGNING. Il7 set, was such as I almost shrink from even attempting to describe. Before eight o'clock, the sun was at its fiercest, and the hard, stony paths were so heated that the glow could literally be felt through the soles of thick shoes. Fortimately, there were many streams to be forded, and although they were not passed without difficulty, being at least twice their ordinary depth, they were gladly welcomed whenevet encountered. Indeed, we should all have l)een better pleased to find more of them', for though our clothes were of course drenched through and through at each passage, they w^e dry and stiff before we had fairly started on our way again. This was partly owing to the utter absence of shelter. The gi*eater part of the Liangkiao valley is destitute of trees, and it is only on approaching the mountains that a healthy vegetation is found. Some of us speedily discovered that campaigning in a savage country has at least the negative advantage of permitting a very free disregard of personal appearance. After the first few miles, the exterior aspect of everj^ one of the trio of observation was such as would have exposed him to popular derision, if not worse, in any trans-Pacific community. I remember that, on entering the village of Sijiikei, and coming into the presence of the General-in-Chief, for which meeting I hiul endejwored to re-adjust myself in some slight degree, I was humorously congratulated by that officer on- being able to go to war in my sleeping dress. He s^ioke but the fact. A suit of thin ^'pajamas" wtis all I could possibly support. This, with a straw hat, an umbrella, and a pair of straw siindals, I take to be the pix)per unifonn for a journalist in the tropics. I had learned the value of sandals years before in Japan, but neglected to profit by my old experience, and trusted here to shoes, with pitiable results. The alternate swelling and shrinking, from soaking and sudden drying, was intolerably painful; in a Idition to which, the sharp stones of the hills torfe the leather to rags long before the journey was ended. The Japanese soldiera, in excursions of this kind, wear the close-fitting leg-coverings of their own country, from 118 INLAND VEGETATION. Junk 2. the knee to the ancle, and put nothing on the feet but their thick soft sandals, extra i>air8 of which they carry suspended from their waists. As we drew near the circle of hills that marks the limits of the valley, the country began to assume a more agreeable character — ^that is, to the eye alone. The long-continued rains had freshened the verdure, which, moreover, is of a richer development inland than on the coast. As we slowly ascended, we began to pass by patches of wholesome shrubbery, and presently had opportunities to pause and rest, at distant intervals, under Banyan trees of some magnitude. Clusters of willo^vs were occasionally seen by the river sides ; but these reliefs were infrequent, and, as a rule, the face of the country still maintained what would elsewhere he considered a rugged barrenness. The first hills that were really covered with trees were those in the neighborhood of and just beyond the "Stone Gkte," where the rough and jagged outlines of the scenery are somewhat softened by warmer colors tlian those of dark rock and gray sand. CHAPTER XXL TlIK STONE GATE — SKIUMISH OF MAY TWENTY-SECOND REVIEWED GAL- J.ANTUY OF THE JAPANESE — riUMITIYE BUT EFFECTIVE TACTICS — llELUCT- ANCE TO ABANDON THE CONTEST — A SCALING PAUTY — THE ENEMY PUT TO FLIGHT — ^NUMBERS OF KILLED AND WOUNDED. s We i)assed througli the g-ate about uoou, and, as I now had the opiK)!- tiuiity of examining tliis natural Ibrtification from all i)oints, I refer once again to tliat single engagement in which the Jai>anese forced the Botans from their chosen position, and destroyed with one blow all their hojies of ever meeting them with success. I have heretofore sjwken too moderately of the si)irit and courage displayed on that occasion. Not having seen the conimencement of the work, and not knowing the ground which the enemy occupied, I could not rightly estimate the difficulties to be overcome or the resolution reciuired to surmount them. I am now persuaded that the tsiking of the " Stone Gate ** by ouj" handful of men — there were not more than forty actually employed, although about one hundred and seventy- five were near at liand — ^even against its unskilled defenc^ers, was an act of gcdlantry which any soldiei-s in the world might justly be proud of. The situation held by the Botans api)ears as netirly impregnable as any stronghold possibly can be. The sides of the "Stone Gate" are two rocky acclivities which rise at sharp angles, and often pei-pendicularly, to a height of nearly five hundred feet on one side and four hundred and fifty on the other. The distance between them, at the base, is about thirty feet, which is entirely filled by a rapid stream that dashes in foam over rough rocks through the greater length of the pass, and is waist deep ff f c I 4 120 8EKI MOK June 2, at its only fordable point. Except under pressure of the most desperate necessity, no one would ever dream of attempting to scale these heights "; and in fact no earthly power could accomplish such a task if any attempt, however feeble, were made to defend them. The crag of the right hand pillar is topped by sharp spires not unlike the needles of the Chamouni valley in form — ^though of course much smallei^-and certainly as forbid- ding in their defiance to intruders. But over this ban-ier a score of Japan- ese marines did actually pass, with the view of assailing the savages from above. Before the action really began, a few shots were fired at the advan- cing line from a rude fortification that had been thrown up just within the right side of the gate — ^that is, to the left of the besiegers. Whether this was intended only as an outpost, or not, I cannot say, but it was hurriedly abandoned on the approach of three of the unattached volunteers of whom I have spoken, who took possession of it and remained there for some timci, quite unconscious that the enemy were lying concealed behind rocks and trees within a few yards of them. It did not suit the purposes of the Botans to destroy them, which they might easily have done, their plan being to lie in wait for a greater number of victims. In course of time, some twenty-five other Japanese came into the pass, — carelessly and without precaution, as is their injudicious custom — and began looking about for the ford. When they were all exposed, and for the moment defenceless, they were fired upon from a distance of certainly not more than forty feet, and in some cases less. By this first discharge two or three of the Japanese w^ere killed, and more than half of them were wounded. They immediately sought such concealment as they could find among the rocks which are scattered over the bed of the river. The Bo- tans held a tolerably regular line of boulders, which creates a sort of fall or rapid just above the ford ; and thus, for several minutes, Ihe opposing forces silently confronted each other. As nearly as I could learn, by close 1874. REVIEW OF THE RECENT SKIRMISH. 121 inquiry from natives and others, there were about seventy savages present. Of course the strength of their position gave them advantages equivalent to an infinitely greater superiority of numbers. After the few inactive moments of which I have spoken, other Japanese began to enter the pass and establish themselves, and, at the same time, some of the wounded endeavored to retire. This was the signal for a second discharge from the Botans. But, in rising to * fire, they partially uncovered their bodies, which was at once taken advantage of by the Japanese, who threw in an effective volley, under cover of which some succeeded in shifting their position to points a little nearer the enemy. This manoeuvre was several times repeated, a soldier rising pur- posely, in case of need, to draw the fire of the defenders. By these means all the Japanese gradually worked themselves closer, but the progress was so slow and the number of the wounded increased to such an extent that the officer in command. Colonel Sakuma,' ordered the bugles to sound a recall. Nobody could misconstrue such a command, coming fi-om Sakuma, his reputation for bravery in action having been long ago established, but as the greatest of English sailors was once blind to a signal for retreat, * so these ardent pioneers were deaf to this unwelcome strain. Not to put too fine a point upon it, I suppose I must admit that they disobeyed orders ; but I have not learned that anybody has since greatly blamed them for it. I afterward heard one of these contumacious warriors, when called upon to give his reason for not returning, say that if would have been more dangerous to go back than to advance, and that mere prudence would have kept liim where he was. He was reminded, however, that he had been seen to leave his place, rejoin the main body, and then return to the fighting ground ; to which he answered, with some embarrassment, that it was true, but he had been compelled to do as he did, as he had a wounded comrade who had been shot, just beside him, in the arm and the stomach, to assist to the rear. 122 FIGHTING IN THE WATEIL Juke 2, Thiia iiregiilarly, and with no directions except those suggested by tlieir own minds to the jKirticipators, the contest went on for nearly an hour, the Japanese steadily, though very slowly, getting nearer their o])ponents. It might be supposed that a sudden rush would have put an end to the business, as indeed it would have done on dry land, in anything like a fair field. But here the soldiei*s were up to their waists in a stream, the cuiTent of which was so powerful that they could only with great effort force their way against it. The best and only thing they could do Wtis to watch their oi>|x)rtunity and creep from behind one rock to another. At length, Colonel Sakuma conceived the idea that a small body of riflemen might ascend the cliff, to his left, and assist in dislodging the swages by firing U])on them fi-om that commaufling height. About twenty marines started upon tliis ermnd, and, after a severe struggle, reached the summit. Their task was undoubtedly the most laborious of the d»iy. It was not only difficult, but dangerous as well, for no previous attempt luuL ever been made to effect a passage, and the whole acclivity was in it^ l)rimitive condition of unbroken irregularity. From the bottom, many I>arts of it looked like sections of smooth and jwlished stone, affording no hold for feet or hands. As they worked their ^vay upward, the scaling liarty seemed to be clinging and crawling by the aid of some insect-like property of adhesion, and not by human efforts ; and the ix)ssibility of their accomplishing the work was often doubted by those who watched them. At last, after many disappearances in chasms and crevices, or behind con- cealing mtifises of rocK, they sprang upon the tojimost ledge with gestures of triumph and shouts that, though only faintly heard, were vigorously echoed in the valley. By this time the Botans were closely pressed from below. Some of the attacking jmrty had approached so near them that their boulders no longer afforded them a secure protection. One or two had already turned and fled when the marines appeared over their heads. That sight decided the matter. They broke in a body, and made for the river- 1874. ^THE FIRST AND LAST STAND. 123 banks, leaving sixteen of their number dead behind them. Of those who escaped, fourteen were mortally wounded — ^among them, as has previously been stated, the leader of the Botan tribe. Of the number of less severely wounded we never had any account. Our own casualties were six killed and thirty wounded, all but one of the latter of whom recovered. Such was the gallant little skiniiish of " Stone Gate," a complete un- derstanding of the difficulties of which cannot be conveyed by words. The place was afterward photographed, and a clearer idea of its massive strength is thus im}>arted. That it was a brilliant affair for the Japanese is doubly fortunate, for they had no second opportunity of thus distinguish- ing themselves. The savages were taught enough, in that single lesson, to keep them from attempting to squarely confront the conquerors thereafter. * 4 CHAPTER XXII. FORDINO AT THE STONE GATE — ^PERSONAL HEMINTSCBNCBS — THOUOHTFULNKSS OF JAPANESE OFFICERS — ^A SINGULAR DISCOVERY — GRAVES OF THE MUR- DERED RIU KIUANS — ^FATIGUES OF MOUNTAIN CLIMBING — ^DISTANT SKIR- MISHES — ^FORMIDABLE BARRICADES — ^THB ADVANCE INTERRUPTED — A NIGHT IN A CHEVBUX DE FRISE — ^FINE BEHAVIOR OF THE SOLDIERS. The passage of the "Stone Grate" was not mthont its hardships, even when no enemy was at hand to dispute the way. The ford was still some- what hazardous, and a number of men had lost their foothold while attempting to cross, and had been swept down stream, — ^happily without serious consequences. This had happened before our anival, and I was therefore surprised to see numbers of officers clambering over an improvised path among the rocks of the left side of the gate — ^the right as we faced up the stream. It seemed the correct thing to do, and I therefore followed, as often on hands and knees as on feet, but discovered, after having gone half way, that it was certainly impracticable for me. So I returned, waded the river at one point, and pushed up to the recrossing ford. I had steadied myself half way over, and was filled with self-congratulation, when my attention was attracted by a singular retrogressive movement on the part of the staff, which I paused to contemplate from a half submerged stand- point. Presently the Greneral-in-Chief descended the hill which he had just climbed, and gave rapid orders, in consequence of which "coolies ** came out, like skirmishers,' into the river, and an officer of the quarter-master's department, wearing nothing but a benevolent smile, planted himself in what appeared to me a uselessly uncomfortable and exposed position in 1874. GRA VES OF THE MURDERED MEN. 125 the midst of tho current, The whole proceeding was utterly obscure, but I saw myself beckoned and recognized the impossibility of waiting to in- vestigate it. So I moved forward, and after three strides foimd myself in water so deep and so rapid that no strength of mine could stem it for an instant. Before I had time to think, I was in the arms of a stalwart " coolie," who straightway passed me on to another, and so following until the master of transpomtion at last lifted me to firm ground. Then I be- came aware that the operation in question was one in which I was chiefly concerned ; that all this strategetic disposition of interfluvial pickets was to preserve me from discomfort, and that the commander of our forces had gone far out of his way to personally superintend the rescue of a stranger who had no conceivable claim VL\\oxi his attention. The incident was almost too slight to be worth narrating, but I cannot look \x\)OVl anything as al- together trifling that helps to illustrate the thoughtful kindliness of these instinctively warm-hearted people. Beyond " Stone Gate," the course of the river, which I take to be that which empties into Liaugkiao Bay north of Sialiao, runs for nearly a mile through a narrow plain. ' Our road carried us over about half that distance, after which we turned to the left and began an abrupt ascent. In the level space below we had passed through several deserted villages, belonging, not to the savages, whose territory is farther inland, but to half-castes, or to people of Chinese descent. In one of these a remarkable discovery was made — nothing less than the actual graves of the very Riu Kiuans whose murder the Japanese were here to avenge. It struck me as a most sur- prising coincidence that here, upon the threshold of the entrance to the Botan countrj', the troops should be thus strikingly reminded of the cause of their coming. It was a circumstance so totally outside of all expectation that it seemed incredible. The Miyako islanders had been cast ashore upon the opposite coast, seven or eight miles away in a direct line, and probably twice as many by the mountain paths. But the inscriptions, which were 126 MOUNTAIN CLIMBING. Jitkk 2, explicit, left no doubt upon the subject, and abundant confirmation was obtained by subsequent inquiries. The explanation of the m)^tery — if the intelligence which I had from the Liangkiao people was trustworthy— was, that the wrecked party, on falling into the hands of the Botans, were mis- taken for Chinese, and were brought across the peninsula to the nearest Chinese-speaking inhabitants, not frofai motives of humanity but in the hope of getting a rewaixl; that the Chinamen did not recognize the castaways and refused to ransom them ; that they were then told that unless they paid one hundred dollars the sailors should be killed on the spot ; to which they answered that they did not care, and, according to one story, were ready to assist in the slaughter. It was even stated by some that they did join in the wholesale work of destruction. It is impos- sible to say to wliat extent these reports were to be trusted, but they were not in themselves unreasonable, and the undoubted fact that the remains of the murdered men were on the spot in question gave a certain weight to them. At three o'clock in the afternoon the laborious mountain climbing began. We had forded a dozen or more streams before we came to a ledge of rock which had to be scaled in genuine Alpine fashion — ^to walk up it would have been as impossible as to dance a fandango on a Mansart roof — and which marked the entrance to the real Botan and Kusukut possessions. I do not know that any piu'pose could be served by describing in detail the fatigues of the successive ascents. An idea of their general character may be taken from the fact that a steady upward march of four hours — that is, until sundown, canied us only three miles. At five o'clock we passed over a lofty ridge, overlooking a deep valley, on the other side of which puffs of smoke were seen rising, volleys of musketry being heard at the same time. We had no means of knowing exactly to whom to attri- bute theso demonstrations, but it was obvious enough that some of our friends were concerned in them. Soon after this, we came upon the first r I 1874. BANYAN BARRICADES. 127 of th3 barricades which the savages had rouglily constnicted — ^mainly by felling trees and interlacing their boughs. It was not very difficult to pass through, but if it had been defended, as I supiKjse there must have been at one time an intention of defending it, tlie advance would have become an extremely serious matter from that moment. Other obstructions, similar in kind, but far more complicated, followed it in rapid succession. Up to this point, the soldiers had marched, necessarily, in single file, but with great alacrity and perseverance. Here, however, they began to slacken a little. According to all previous calculations we should have reached Botan long before sundown, but now night was falling and we were in the midst of the mountains, surrounded by a stunted wilder- ness, and with no knowledge of our whereabouts, beyond the genei-al fact that we were somewhere in the heart of Southern Formosa. Finally, close upon seven o'clock, we were confronted by a maze of barricades, com- pared with which those that had preceded were like the windings of a pleasure ground. The largest trees I had seen cu the island. Banyans and others, were thrown a3ross the path, in such tangled profusion that to pierce through them was an impossible task, tt was the work of almost half an hour to clamber over a single pile of tliese obstructions, and one W}\s no sooner sin-mounted than another rose to renew the opposition to our progress. Some efforts wei*e made to cut a way through, but this was entirely impracticable at that hour, and so the exhausted soldiei*8 sat themselves down on such bare spots iis they coukl find, without food or water, to sleep in the centre of an abattis. I doubt if a stranger bivouac has ever been heard of. Most of them — ^i)robably all of them were miser- able enough, but, in spite of iheir discomforts, not a sound of complaint was heard from any source. If they had been surrounded by every luxury they could not have been more cheerful or in brighter humor. Here is the real discipline of the 'Japanese soldier — that which he himself exercises over his own temper, and which enables him, like his countrymen generally, 128 FORTITUDE OF THE SOLDIERS. June 2. to show high qualities of endiirduce and fortitude, not alone in danger, to which he is constitutionally indifferent, but on occasions of personal distress or of grave anxiety and suspense such as few Western people can meet with equanimity. He is very far frorn a finished soldier, according to our strict notions of routine and drill, and in times of peace he has his favorite faults, which foreigners are quick to descry and exaggerate, but in his self- denying patience and his jeady, hearty, willing spirit, he is often a hero even more than in the reckless daring of his actions. CHAPTER XXIII. BELIEF AT HAND — THE WATCHES OF THE NIGHT — ^FEAST OF SWEET POTATOS — ^AN AMIYA VILLAGE — ^THE INFERIOR RACE — CAPTURE AND DESTRUCTION OF BOTAN AND KUSUKUT — THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN DETACHMENTS ASTRAY — REUNION OF GENERAL OFFICERS — A DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS — RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION — RETURN TO LIANGKIAO — ^A PAINFUL MARCH — JAPANESE COURTESY. By a curious and sufficiently vexatious fatality, it happened that the point at which we all gave out — or gave in — ^was only a quarter of a mile from a village in which water was abundant, and plenty of food, in the form of sweet potatos, could be had by digging for it. General Saigo and a few companions only reached this favored spot. About eight o'clock he passed to the head of the line, and,- as he is a man of powerful frame and less sensitive to fatigue than most others, he made his way onward, supposing that the rest would follow. I do not believe that the General was wholly insensible to the hardships of the situation, for I have heard a legend to the effect that his hunger was so great that he furtively dug potatos from the field with his own hands, and devoured them raw. However, he was in better condition than his followers, and he sat wondering why he was not joiiied by others, until he fell asleep. I suppose if they had known what was awaiting them, the whole body would have revived and nullified that quarter of a mile in the briefest possible time. As it was, they passed a night of restless tribulation. The weather was fortunately clear, though the atmosphere was very chilly, as it always is on the mountains after dark. Sleep was invoked 9 130 A WEARY NIGHT. June 2, by every expedient that weariness and exhaustion could inspire, but w&s not quick to respond. It is a simple fact that for a long time hardly a square foot of gi-ound could be found unencumbered with sharp stakes or twisted boughs. The line of march which had been checked was about a quarter of a mile long, and it chanced at this place to stretch over a narrow ridge which had until recently been thickly crowded with the tree* that were now lying in intricate confusion around. Tlie descent on each side was too abrupt to be risked, even if any had cared to stray away, in search of better quarters, in that imknown and hostile country. It must be admitted, too, that there was no attempt that night, to institute the customary precautions agamst surprises. No pickets were thrown out, and not even a guard was set. A few voluntary watchers provided all that seemed to be needed, or at least all that was supplied, in this respect. At midnight, the scene, dimly lifted from obscurity by the faint moonlight, was full of strange and weird suggestions. The ^attitudes of the soldiers were such as one may see depicted in Dore's -'Sleeping Beauty" scenes, where unconsciousness has seized each figure in the most unnatural position for repose. They leaned against the stumps of trees, crouched among brambles, knelt or folded themselves in slender ai>ertures, but seldom had the chance to lie at even partial length. The Jajianese can rest in postures which to us of the West are incompatible with comfort, not to say en- durance ; and we, the poox)le of America, could not long resist the temptation to seek a more tolerable phu5C of accommodation, at whatever cost. We found one at the veiy summit of the ridge, on a spot which we then eiToneously supposed was in advance of any occupied by others. Here were a couple of square yards of stony and billowy but otherwise undcformed earth. Now we could recline, but not altogether at ease, for we believed the ix)sitiou to be peculiarly exix)sed and felt the necessity for especial watchfulness. Gradually the stars twinkled less brightly, the cold became less keen, and the sense of hardships died away. Formosa, fatigue, the sharp stones and 1874. WHERE? 131 ugly undulations of our bed began to fade from the mind. In a moment we should have been dreammg, when a stealthy step was heard in front of us, bushes crackled, the network of boughs was pushed aside and a dusky form drew near. We were in the midst of sharp realities again. Here, perhaps, waa worse than a superterraneous couch and temporary cold. But the vision proved a beneficent one. It was one of our own officers, who had constituted himself a reconnoitring force for the good of the community. He smiled, sat beside us and chatted, and, oh ! — ^rapture to those who had learned the luxury comprised in a few ounces of rolled tobacco, produced a couple of cigars with which he was prepared to change the gloom and horror of the night to momentary bliss. Alas, I did not smoke. The magic of that transformation was denied to me. My com- jmnions sat, and puflFcd, and murmured, and uplifted their eyes in silent ec- stasy, and sometimes turned compassionate glances toward me. There were no hunger, thirst or pain for them. In that hour, and upon the top of an inhospitable knoll in the centre of savage Formosa, I made a resolution which, in its application, embmced the everlasting future. It was adhered to for two days, that is to say, until the occasion which gave it birth had passed away. But I nevertheless shall always cherish a theoretical envy of the smoker, though I may not practically emulate him. The morning was again painfully bright, threatening another oppros- sive day. It was still a laborious work to ovejxjome the remaining barricades, but, that being accomplished, the way was clear to the village I have men- tioned. There we were at ease, at least so far as the satisfaction of our appetites was concerned. A dozen fires were kindled, and bushels of potatos were dug, cooked and eaten, before any questions as to where we might be were thought of. And when we found time to ask them they could not be answered. There was not a living thing in the place except a dog, a sow with a litter, and two or three chickens. Our guides from the coast settle- ments were completely at a loss. If they knew the region at all they were 132 AMIYA8. Juke 3, very imperfectly acquainted with it. But they seemed confident that it was neither Botan nor Kusukut. I learned, later, that it was called Amiya, from the people that inhabited it, and was said to be a small de- pendency of Loput, though situated at considerable distance therefrom. It lies half way between the two savage strongholds, less than a mile from each^ and yet, strangely enough, is said to partake of none of the fierce characteristics of those places. I have been assured that the Amiyas, who are looked upon as belonging to an inferior race, and are distributed in vari- ous parts of the southern peninsula, are suffered to exist among the savages solely in consequence of their weakness. They are not formidable enough to excite jealousy, and they are compelled to perform a great many menial services for their exacting neighbors.* I had already met their chief several times. He was an amusing old fellow, and looked as harmless as a sheep. His ears were not bored, and he spoke Chinese, which fact45 were just a little to his advantage,* at the outset. In all general discussions he seemed to be principally occupied in remonstrating with the " head- "men " of the savages, and urging a pacific policy upon them in a shrill treble. I am inclined to believe that sufferance, and not intolerance, is the badge of his tribe. If he had been at Amiya to give us a little information I should have liked him still better. This village commands a view of the sea toward the west, through a series of clefts in the mountains. Without any positive or certain means of estimating, I judge it to be about seven miles from the western coast, in a direct line, and five miles from the eastern, and between two and three thousand feet above the ocean levrt. It is a place of little importance, containing only a dozen houses, which are aU constructed on one simple principle — eight posts are set in the ground, thin* straw is plaited over them and a fragile upper frame supports a thatched roof. In some of these we • General Legendre estiinuted tlie number of male Amiyas at two hundred and forty- flre, in 1867. 1874. BOTAN HOUSES BURNED. 133 found packages of dried tobacco, rather neatly prepared, from which, as well as from the presence of the pigs and chickens, it is probable that the evacuation was very hasty, and perhaps was not contemplated at all by the residents, but was forced by the Botans. In the neighboring fields there was no sign of cultivation, excepting of tobacco and sweet potatos. The rice, what was used of it, must have been grown at some little distance. After a hasty breakfast, two small parties, of about sixty men each, were sent out to reconnoitre in opposite directions — ^north and south. The first, in the course of an hour, reached a large village, consisting of forty or fifty houses built of sun-dried brick and stone, with thatched roofs, which was soon discovered to be Botan. This place, at least, the guides had means of recognizing. It appeared to be wholly deserted, but never- theless, as our soldiers drew near, a number of shots was fired upon them from hills and thickets, and two or three were slightly wounded. A volley in return, though discharged at random, siienced the unseen assailants. The place was then burned, and the troops encamped in its inmiediate vicinity. The southern detachment had not proceeded far before it was met by messengers from the column commanded by Admiral Akamatsu, -which had been on the march, in various directions, during the greater part of the night. This force had reached Kusukut at two o'clock on the after- noon of the 2nd, and, on attempting to enter it, was received, as usual, by a sudden fire from an ambuscade. Three Japanese were killed and two were wounded. The savages were speedily driven from their position, but probably with little or no loss. The houses of Kusukut were destroyed and, as the situation was untenable, being easily commanded by a circle of hills, a camp was established on an elevation about an eighth of a mile distant. At five o'clock, the bulk of the column started forth with the view of joining General Salgo, but the roads soon became difficult and the guides were at odds, the result of which was that, after traveUing ■■ 134 USELESS CAPTIVES. Junk 3, until the next morning, the Admiral found himself close to the " Stone " Gate." From this point he turned and followed the course of the central body, arriving at Ami}Ti about noon. Up to this- time nothing had been heard from the Hongkang party, which was to have started for the interior before dawn on the 2nd, Small squads were sent out by various northern j^thways to get news of it if lx)8Bible, and also to hold or bum all deserted villages that might be identified with the Botan or Kusukut interests. The latter part of this work was carried out, but no traces of Gteneml Tani's troops were dis- covered. Messengers who came in from Sialiao, in the afternoon, were * equally ignorant. It was therfore detennined to pass another night at Amiya, and await further developments. A partial supply of food had been brought up, and, what was more astonishing, considering the character of the roads, a few tents and a small cohoorn mortar. This last was put to use for making signals to the absent column. Several shells were burst in the air, but no response was given imtil nightfall, when half a dozen soldiers came in, bringing a report that the long road from Ninai to Botan was so nearly impracticable that several days might be required to force a way through. General Tani had not been able to reach Ninai imtil the evening of the 2nd. His men, also, had been attacked, but without serious results. They found only a woman and a child in the village, whom they detained with the intention of using them as guides the next day — ^but the woman escai)ed, and the child was too young to be of service. The Gen- eral decided to send the greater part of his force immediately to the " Stone Gate," there to await further orders, and to set a small body to the work of clearing the direct path to the centre of the savage region. The night of the 3rd passed quietly, and, early on the morning of the 4th, Geneml Tani arrived. Upon cons\iltation, it was now determined that, all the savage villages of the interior having been seized and de- stroyed, and the inhabitants driven into the mountains, sufficient detach- 1874. RETURN TO SIALIAO. 135 mcnts should be left to guard the abandoned stations and to control the princii)al points of the roadways, while the main body should return lo Sialiao, to prepare for further operations on the eastern coast, where the Botans were, believed to be upon terms of alliance with one or two settlements, especially with Peigu. This decision, when communicated, was received with customary acquiescence by all excepting the Satsuma men, who petitioned for the privilege of underUiking a little war of ex- termination on their own plan, which was, to scour the wilderness in parties of two or three, and hunt for the savages until they should be found and put an end to. This proposed not appearing to be dictated by the pro- foundest wisdom, was negatived, and the return march began at nine o'clock. Most of the heavy barricades had boon cleared away by a gang of laborers, acting under Hirano, an energetic and industrious quarter- master of the expedition, and the path was comparatively free, although still full of difficulties enough to send the majority of us into camp almost broken down with fatigue and exhaustion. The last two or three miles were ap. bitter as any I ever passed over, but I was happily stimulated, at the most depressing point, by a charming little trait of kindness and good feeling, Seversil wounded soldiers were carried by me in litters, most of them lying at full length and spsechless. One, however, was sitting upright, his injuries being such as to make that position the least painful to him. His arm was shattered and the flesh of his breast was torn away. Seeing that I was limping along with an ex- tremely awkward gait, he stopped his carriers and asked what was the matter. I told him that my feet had been bruised and cut, whereupon he insisted that I should throw away my iLseless shoes and take his cloth socks and sandals. " You see,'* he said, "I have no use for them now/' This was from a man who, while suffering from two dreadfid wounds, spoke in the brightest tone, and smiled as cheefully when he spoke as if he had lain on a bed of roses. For a few moments, certainly as long as 136 JAPANESE COURTESY. Juke 4. he was in sight, I strode erect, and forgot that I had ever felt a smart. This amiable solicitude for the comfort of those whom they thought were less capable of enduring hardships than themselves was constantly exhibited by everybody around. I have mentioned how Greneral Saigo conducted a little operation for my benefit, on the outward march. Coming in, he placed me under a new obligation, by offering to have a palanquin put together for me. In truth I was hardly able to stand, but I could not acknowledge myself beaten, and so declined. On the night which we passed in the middle of a barricade, Colonel Sakuma, who never gave a thought to his own hunger, took it into his generous mind that the Americans could not be expected to stand that sort of thing, and sent back to a village a couple of miles distant, for a bundle of biscuit and some claret, which he laid before us just as we were trying in v^n to get to sleep. And I can candidly say that not a day passed without evidences of a delicate courtesy and thoughtfulness on all sides such as I think are not often found in close alliance with the rigors of rough campaigning. At the same time it was all so natural with the Japanese that I dare say not one of them would exactly understand the impulse which irresistibly compels me to record it. .1 CHAPTER XXIV. m REST AND IlEFRKSHMKNT — ^RESULTS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED — THIRD INTER- VIEW WITH ABORIGINAL CHIEFS — A FORMOSAN WEDDING MARRIAGE CERE- MONIES AND FESTIVITIES-^VISIT OF SAVAGE LEADERS TO THE ENCAMPMENT — ^ISA IMPROVES THE SITUATION. For several days after returning to camp, the troops rested and refreshed themselves. It was evident that no fui'ther general movement would be necessary for some time to come. Much more had been accomplished, in a single month, than had been actually laid out for the entire work of half a year- The plans agreed upon in Tokio never contemplated an advance into the interior during the sutnmer. In the prevailing ignorance as to the intentions and resources of the hostile tribes, it had been thought prudent to occupy the fii-st few months in establishing a fortified camp upon the coast, and forming advantageous relations with such of the aborigines as seemed well-disposed. It was also believed that the excessive heat would incapacitate the men from active operations. But these precautions, though undoubtedly judiciously devised, all proved needless. After the first week, it became obvious that no attacks would be attempted by the savages, and the line, of earth- works was left in a half-finished condition. The skirmish of May 22nd, although brought about by unexpected circumstances, showed the utter inability of the Botan warriors to make a stand against the Japan- ese, and moreover produced a restless excitement that could not have been easily allayed in any other way than by sanctioning a general advance. The heat, although much greater during the day-time than in any part of Japan, was found to be not absolutely intolerable, partly owing to the re- ■r* -- 138 CHINESE INCHED ULITY. June 8, lief afforded by the cool nights. The expediency of departing from the original purpose could not now be questioned. The greater part of the task of punishing the Botivns and their companions, anil" teaching them the penalty of murdering inoffensive castaways, was already effected. When the Chinese officials were in Liangkiao, on the 22d of May, they expressed abundant sympithy with the purposes of the expedition, but politely doubted its efficacy. They said their own government had some time before undertaken the subjugation of the savages, in a war which had lasted over a dozen years, and had then abandoned the enterprise as hopeless. It is clear enough that the Botans believed themselves invincible, and all their neighbors looked with an incredulity that was hardly disguised, upon the pretension of penetrating their hitherto inaccessible mountain wilds. But, in less than thirty days from the time of disembarking, the chief strong- holds and most of the tributary villages of the aggressive tribes were in ashes, the inhabitants scattered in the hills, and their lands in possession of the enemy they had defied. It is true that none of these events woiUd have taken place but for the haste of the savages to attack the Japanese, long before any attempt had been made to approach their territory. Apart from the original claim for retaliation — on account of the slaughter of the Riu Kin islanders, — ^the first and the repeated provocations came froili the Botans. Then the exaction of redress became inevitable ; and, since it had to be done, it was well it was done quickly. It is nevertheless true, that if they had offered any sign of repentance before the march of the first days of June began, hostilities would have been stayed, and a pacific means of settling all the questions at issue would have been adopted. It would have been neces- sary for them only to give reasonable guarantee for their good behavior in future, and to accede to such terms as would supi)ly a safeguard against an infraction of faith on their part, to escape the heavy inflictions that be- fell them. A considerable amount of work yet remained to be done, in a military 1874. INTEltMAHUIAGE. 139 way, but it was such as could be carried out by small detachments, in various localities. With a view to estabjishiug posts on the eastern coast, and thus completely encircling the dispereed fugitives, a third conference with the "head-men '* of the friendly tribes was arranged. The inter- preter Johnson and the guide Miya were sent to summon them on the 6 th of June. On the evening of the 8 th they came to Sialiao, accompanied by about two hundred armed men — ^a circumstance which sliowed that some of them, at least, had not freed themselves from apprehension as to the intentions of the Japanese toward them. They were advised by Johnson, before our officers were notified of their arrival, to send their retinue back to the hills, which, after some hesitation, they wisely concluded to do. If they had kept them, the presence of so large a body must have become known to the soldiers generally, and it would have been difficult to explain their proximity to the camp in time to avert probable mischief. After they had gone, the chiefs expressed great anxiety to have their intemew at once, to get it over as speedily as possible, and to start off for their homes before daylight. The preceding meeting had been held at night, and they found that an excellent and most suitable precedent to be followed forever. This was not, however, the view of the Japanese officers, who had little fancy for nocturnal excui-sions of the sort, and the visitors were requested to wait until morning. They did so, although with great reluctance ; many of them remaining awake and keeping watch all night. It is possible that the festivities in which the people of Sialiao were just then engaged had something to do with their >vakefulnes8. For two or three days, the house of Miya had been (and still was) the centre of a wedding celebration of some importance. A gmndson of the aged " head- "man,** and nephew of Miya, was the bridegroom. The bride was a daughter of one of the subjects of Isa, and was a native of Sawali. This custom of intermarriage between the two races — ^the Malay-like inhabitants of the interior and the Chinese of the coast-^is not uncommon. I was told, 140 A FORMOSAN WEDDING. ^ June 9, indeed, that the women of all tribes are allowed to circulate freely in every part of the peninsula, even where no mutual intercourse is carried on among the men. If this mixture of blood has been of long continuance, it is surprising that so much distrust and hatred exist between the opposite branches of the population, and hardly less remarkable that each should still preserve such widely different peculiarities of appearance, habits and individual character. The savages have nothing whatever of the China- man in their exterior aspect, and their ways of life are totally separate. The divergence of their disposition is most strikingly shown in the contrast between the insatiate greed of the West Coast people and the indifference to gain of the mountaineers. In spite of the cruelty, ferocity, and ignorance of the latter, and notwithstanding the superior approach to civilization of the Chinese-speaking community, it is impossible not to recognize the higher average of natural qualities in the ruder race. Tliey are open in the avowal of the enmity which the Chinese Secretly and craftily cherish ; and they are respectable, in the fact that their pledges are to some extent tnistworthy. What they promise, they adhere to with reasonable fidelity. As regards intermarriage, I am inclined to believe that, while the coast men often seek wives in the interior, the savages prefer to mate among themselves. When they allow their daughters to form outside alliances, the fathers receive what they regard as sufficient pecuniary equivalents. Feeling some curiosity in the matter of this wedding jubilee — ^which could not well be satisfied before without offending the prejudices of the natives, who do not like to have their social mysteries too closely scru- tinized — ^I walked over to Sialiao at an earlier hour than that fixed for the interview. The premises bore signs of a somewhat late agitation, the night before, and most of the jubilants were asleep. The street in front of Miya's house was covered by an awning, stretched from his roof to that of . the building opposite, and the avenues of approach, from all directions, were guarded by little tables on which religious emblems were placed. In 1874. BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM. 141 front of the lai^e shrine within doors, two enormous candles of red tallow were still burning. The interior court-yard, like the street without, was covered with canvas, and all the space usually left open was filled with tables, upon which lay the debris of a profuse supper. A variety of more or less musical instruments — ^gongs, cymbals, drums, and Chinese flutes and violins — showed that the coarser delights of the entertainment had been chastened by the refinements of art. As the banquet-halls were deserted, so, as a matter of course, were the tones of these sayage-breast- soothing implements hushed. The sleeping chambers, however, were well filled, and from them issued sonorous choral strains, chiefly nasal. The visitors from the mountains were wide awake and on the alert, but most of the people of the locality were deep in dreams. In the course of Jialf an hour they awoke in a body, one might say, and simultaneously sought breakfast, which a few of the women had prepared in the out-houses. The presence of the savage " head-men " was evidently a restraint upon them, and the venerable Miya pere more than once took Johnson aside to enquire when the business of the 'day would be over and their unwelcome guests gone. I, personally, was an object of distrust and suspicion, owing to an unfounded apprehension that I was bent on seeing the bride ; but when that illusion was dispelled, and the conviction gained ground that I was careless in the matter, I was urged by everybody to ^o in and "interview** her. So, indeed, I did, in a brief and imperfect fashion. She was in the best chamber of the house, seated upon the edge of the bed, which was occupied by two sleeping matrons* of the household. The period of undivided wedded life had not yet arrived, and the bridegroom was not suffered to approach the apartment in which his future companion was secluded. Him I saw hovering at a distance, dressed in white, and otherwise conspicuous by an excessively depressed demeanor. The young womaa was also in white, with an amazing head- dress, consisting a circle of silver, from which long tassel-like ornaments of ■^ 142 THIRD CONFERENCE WITH CHIEFS, June 9, crystal and polished metal hung down for several inches, so thickly that it was difficult to discern a feature of her countenance. Presently, as I was sitting opposite her, she rose and brought me a tray containing sweetmeats, bending over, and revealing her face as she presented it. It was not startling enough in its beauty to waiTant a pilgrimage to Sawali in search of kindred charms. But it was fresh and good-humored in expression, and very well suited the buxom figiu-e to which it belonged, and was without .the lines of tattooing on the cheek which are said to distinguish the majority of the Formosan fair. The chiefs had finished their breakfast before the arrival of the Japan- ese officers, who had been' detained by a visit from two headmen that had chosen the wise course of going independently and directly to General Saigo, with a statement which they desired to make on behalf of their people. These were the leaders of Kuchilai and Kaotan. Their purpose was to declare that no violence toward the Japanese had been meditated or executed by them, and to ask tliat they should be protected from molesta- tion. They were well received, and promised that proper enquiry should be made and every consideration given to their case. The general conference did not occupy much time. The principal business on hand was the distribution of the protecting flags that had been promised ; by displaying which the natives were to guard themselves against . unfriendly visitations. These were received by Isa of Sawali, Kalutoi of Mantsui, Sinjio of Pakolut, Lvdin of Loput, Pinali of Lingluan, Minat of Tuilasok and a representative of the Koalut leader. The Koalut chief himself was still shy of appearing while a cloud hung over his reputation, and even his messenger was timid and reserved. The question then arose as to the temporary occupancy of a piece of land on the eastern shore, as an additional jx)int of dei)arture against the hostile tribes, in case they should long maintain their defiant attitude. This proposal was evidently not an agreeable one, but it was acceded to, after some discussion, without 1874. SA VAGES IN THE CAMP. 143 embarrassing conditions of any sort. Offers of payment were made, but the chiefs declined compensation, with the carelessness to gain which I have spoken of as chanicteristic of them. They were finally invited to walk over to the camp and visit the gencrars tent — a suggestion which almost threw them into a panic. It was plain that they placed ifery little confidence, up to this time, in the fair intentions of those with whom they were dealing. They endeavored to conceal their perturbation, and gave as a reason for refusing that they had already remained over night away from their viDages, which was an unprecedented abandonment of their usages, and that they were anxious to get home as soon as possible, to allay the apprehensions of their people. Hints of the presents that were awaiting them at head-quarters did not affect their resolution, and it seemed impossible to move them, when suddenly Isa, stiiTcd by what impulse I cannot imagine, unless it may have been the recollection of having made a promise at the time of his last visit, announced that he would go. Most of the others then assented, and a hesitating, undecided, and timorous line of march was taken up toward the Japanese station. The readiest of the party was Sinjio of Pakolut, who kept well ahead, and, if he did not feel jierfectly at ease, preserved the ajipeamnce of being entirely so. The gentleman from Koalut, liowever, was in great trepidation, and not only hung back from the start, but tried to conceal himself behind the houses and in the doorways of Sialiao and clearly believed himself in the a wkwardest scrape of liis life. It requu-ed a prof US' on of encouraging gestures to get him into the boat to cross the river, and when he was there, although he preserved his muscular com- posure, his eyes rolled wihlly, and the perspiration ran from him in streams. After reaching' the general's tent, they al! manifested the same c igerness to get away ; they would wait for no refreshment, and stayed only long enough to glance at the Gatliug g\ins,* (which they begged might not be * The interpreter, Johnson, it wa^ afierward foaiid, had iii«p'red them with a lirelj apprehension in regard to these particular weapons. Being qut-dtioued ns to their pro))ertief>, 144 . MORAL SUBJUGATION. June 9. fired), and to receive a few gifts cf colored cloths and pictures. The Koalut man did not enter joyously into any of the proceedings, but hovered aloof, and seemed to have a superstitious dread of putting himself within any kind of enclosure, however slightly defined. Isa, on the other hand, showed a disposition to take advantage of the situation by asking for a doctor to examine hifi eyes. His sight, like that of many of the islanders, was seriously impaired. One of the surgeons applied a lotion to the inside of his lids, an operation which he bore with equanimity, and then besought a bottle of the mixture for future use. The visit was brought to an end a little after noon, and the seven chiefs returned with their flags and presents, the Kuchilai and Kaotan " head-men " accompanying them, similarly equipped. Just as they went away, a regimental parade was taking place, and the regular and symmetrical movements of nearly a thousemd men — in ornamental "drill "the Japanese are perfect — made great impression on the mountaineers. But the mere display of tcM^tics would never have brought them to the sense of helplessness which they now felt ; that was all '^i due to the successive exploits that had broken down their self-assurance — the forcing of "Stone Gate," the slaying of the Botan chief, and the ovemmning of the country which they thought could be defended against invaders to aU eternity. nnd knowing verj little about them himself, he had endowed them with extraordinary ideal attributes, from the depths of his consciousness. He said that they were capable of (projecting missiles all the way ncross tlie island, orer the mountains, and through tliem, if necessary ; and, so long as they were pointed toward the savage territory, the inhubitants thereof could never be beyond the power of a Japanese attack. CHAPTER XXV. VOYAGE TO THE EASTERN COAST — ^NISHIN BAY — ^DIFFICULTY OF LANDING — AMICABLE GREETINGS — ^DISTENDED EARS OF FORMOSANS — THE CHIEF OF KOALUT — REFRESHMENTS IN OPEN AIR — ^FORMOSAN DISTILLED SPIRITS — ^ISA IN HIS CUPS — CAMP IN THE SAVAGE COUNTRY. The arrangement for the occupation of a piece of land on the East Coast was made on the 9th of June and on the 10th it was decided to send around a small force in the frigate "Nishin/* to a point already visited and examined from a distance. The indefatigable and plucky interpreter, Johnson, was sent, with Miya, to notify the inhabitants of Tuilasok and the neighborhood of the proposed new encampment, and, on the morning of the 11th, the "Nishin " started, with fifty marines on board. This little excursion was put under the direction of Admiral Akamatsu, assisted by Major Fukusima. The voyage was the first, I believe, that foreigners had ever taken i)art in, in a Japanese man-of-war. It is needless to say that the greatest courtesy was shown to the American guests. The officers of the ship were gentlemen of rather exceptional culture, many of them understanding several languages, and one of them, in particular, speaking English with as much purity of accent and fluency as if it were his mother tongue. The passage occupied only a few hours — ^frgm ten in the morning until three in the afternoon. About twelve, the bay in which the " Rover " tragedy took place was passed. This, though not more thau a mile in depth, is said to be the largest inlet of the whole island. The little indentation selected for a landing-place is not indicated in the published charts, and was a discovery of the " Nishin," made in the trip of 10 146 LANDING ON THE EAST COAST. Junk 10, three weeks before, when she was fired upon from the shore. It affords a very slight protection from gales, and, I presume, is valuable only as one of the few available points of debarkation along the Eastern coast. As the frigate dropped anchor, a group of men was geen on the beach with three of the flags that had been distributed the day before. This showed that they were disposed -to put the tokens of good understanding to an early test. The landing was not effected without difficulty, the surf being rather high. Everybody was more or less wet, and the American Commodore was swept clean overboard. But, as I liave often remarked, this is an experience which does not come amiss under the scorching sun of the tropics. We finally found our way into the mouth of a little river, not far from the bank of which were gathered Isa, Sinjio and Lulin, with a few of their foUowei-s. They had seen our approach, from a considerable distance further south, and had run along the shore, with then* flags, to meet us. They had built a fire, with what earthly or unearthly design we could not then conjecture, near which they expected us to sit down, and seemed somewhat concerned at our unwillingness to subject ourselves to their artificial heat in addition to that which naturally blazed upon us. All of the natives were more carelessly attired than on their ceremonial visits to Sialiao,. and not only appeared without ornaments but with very little clothing of any sort. They were in much better humor than they had ever beforb appeared, owing, I suppose, to their freedom fropi all restraint, and the consciousness that their feet were on their native sage- brush. Most of them exhibited a tendency to imintelligible jocularity ; Isa being the exception. He still preserved an imperturbable stolidity, but the amity of his sentiments was indicated by his wearing the sword that had been given him by General Saigo. In consequence of some misunderstanding as to the place of meeting, Johnson did not promptly appear, to interjiret ; and meanwhile, the fifty marines wei-e landed, toge- ther with an equal number of sailow. Brief visits were made to Tuilasok, 1874. THE SAVAGES AT HOME. 147 the old home of Tokitok, and to other villages within a mile of the shore. This region is more attractive in ap]^arance than the country round about Liangkiao, the hills rising rapidly from the water's edge, and being covered with thick and variegated verdure. On the sands there were signs of an avocation which the savages have not generally been supposed to follow. Long fisimg nets were stretched upon frames, and "catamarans" were propped up on edge, ready for launching. In the centre of the beach there was a suspicious looking line of elevated sand, about two feet high and thirty feet long, just at the spot whence the " Nishin *' was fired upon. It had most probably been thrown up as a breast-work, from which to repel any attempt to land, at that time, and the iX)sition was well enough chosen for the purpose, a safe way of retreat to the hills lying exactly behind it. As the afternoon passed, numbers of the natives came in from various directions, some belonging to the fierce mce which we usually speak of as aboriginal, and othei*s of Chinese descent. The former are always easily distinguished by their distended eai-s, the lobes of many of which are stretched around pieces of circular metal or stone, not less in circumference than a Mexican dollar. It may hereafter become a question whether any connection can be tiuced "between these peo}>le and the Japanese, who are known to have occupied Fonnosa ages ago, by means of these pro- digious ears. There are in Japan innumerable pictures and bronzes repi«- senting early heros, saints etc., in which the lower part of this feature is disproportionately large and drooping, and somethnes consists of a mere rim, which is precisely the case here. The famous statue of Dai Butsu, at Kamakura, is an example in iK)int. The origin of this peculiar foim of disfigurement is undoubtedly Indian, and these Formosans are the last living race that continue to practise it. All the new-comers were heavily anned, but all were prompt in their invariable salutation of friendship, which consists in placing the hand upon the breast, to signify, they- say, that the heart is good. Some of 148 ABORIGINAL AEISTOGBACY. June 10, the men of Chinese descent knew how to writ«, and amused themselves by tracing simple charactenj in the sand. A few of the savages could understand a little Chinese, but could not write or read. Their own language has no written form, so far as I could learn. Mutual com- munication was extremely disjointed and incoherent, until the arrival of the interpreters, when all was smooth again. The camping ground was selected and approved, the " head man " of Tuilasok again refusing to be remunerated. Later in the day, a Koalut warrior marched in among us ; who, we were assured this time, beyond a question, was the chief himself. He was near his own domain, now, and, if not without reproach, was devoid of fear. He was a little man, this leader of the most blood-thirsty tribe, except the Bota.ns, in the Peninsula, with a rather efieminate face, large mild eyes, and a wreath of wild flowers tastefully woven into his hair. One of his companions had a somewhat similar, though more ex- tensive decoration, composed of leaves and iwigs. The young inheritor of the majesty of Tuilasok was adorned with a pheasant's plume of great length. His brother, Tokitok's youngest son, was unembellished except by his fine intelligent brow and beautiful eyes. He was the only hand- some savage of the lot, unless the Koalut chief might put in a claim to partial rivalry ; and would hardly liave had a blemish to his countenance but for the bored ears and the lips stained with betel-nut juice. Toward simset, a fresh party was seen advancing over tlie hills, bearing tubs and baskets and jiackages of various shapes and dimensions. It was easy to see that a i)rimitive feast was im))ending — ^not a stately banquet, with pig and chicken, but a neat impromptu repast on approved al fresco savage principles. There was rice and there were eggs, and e8i)ecially there were gi-eat vessels of sweet-potato samshu, for the last touches to the preparation of wliich we nQw saw tluit the fire was to be made available. The liquor was re-heated, and then handed around with i)er8i8- tent, not to say oppressive, hospitality. It was not particularly jMlatable, 1874, THE BEVERAGE OF THE COUNTRY. 149 but was extremely potent, with a flavor not unlike very inferior Irish whiskey. Our hosts expressed much regret when we refused to join them in every ''round/* but, I think, consoled themselves with the reflection that there would be more left for themselves. The process of emptying and refilling the cups was plainly pursued with what Dr. Johnson declared to be the ouly aim of drinking, and the consequences were speedily apparent in the growing hilarity and a sudden development of aflFectionate tenderness. Isa himself, the stern and unbending, began to make jokes. He several times distorted his face into what was meant to be a smile. When he undertook to accompany us to our boats, he kicked about the sand invohmtarily, and pretended he had done it out of pure facetiousness. The last I saw of him, he was trying to walk through a fishing net that hung in his way, but of which he was as oblivious, for the moment, as of the ancient fends of his rcoce. The astonishing thing about this transaction was the fact of its taking place — ^as a demonstration of thorough good feeling — on a shore which had never before been approached by strangers with impunity, and in a spot which, only twenty days previously, had witnessed a murderous attempt on the part of the inhabitants against the veiT guests of the present moment. The following day was occupied in the establishment of the camp, a process which was scnitinized, apjmrently with interest, by an English gun-boat that had followed the "Nishin '' from Liangkiao Bay. On the 13th, the frigate returned to the West side of the island, leaving a number of officers who desired to make the return journey overland. On the 14th, a small transport started for Nagasaki conveying General Tani, with the latest reports, and many of the invalids. On the 16th, Admiral Akan\atsu and Major Fukushna sailed in the "Nishin" for China, bearers of despatches to the Japanese Minister at Peking. CHAPTER XXVI. NEW Camp established — Japanese surgeons — insalubrity of the old STATION — X TRANQUIL EXISTENCE — ANIMALS, INSECTS, AND REPTILES OF THE COUNTRY — LIMITED DIVERSIONS — SAIGO's CHOICE OF AN INVADING ARMY — ^YOKOHAMA NEWSPAPERS — ^JAPANESE EXPLORATIONS OF FORMOSA FRIENDLY VISITS TO THE INTERIOR — EXPERIMENTAL FARM ATTEMPTED. The ground first occupied, between the two rivers of Liangldao valley, having been found inconvenient, unhealthy, and generally unsuitable, a new encampment was laid out about the middle of May, and wiis gradually prepared with a good deal of care, under the direction of the industrious Hirano, of the quarter-master's department. Several houses were built, for hospitals and for officers* quarters, which, considering the limited re- sources at hand, were j^sitively jialatial in their amplitude and comfort. At least, they seemed so to persons who had been alternately stifled and half-drowned in bell-tents for a month. The hospital i)atients were trans- ferred early in June, and it speaks highly for the skill of the Japanese surgeons that with a single exception, all the wounded men were well on their way to recovery within a fortnight. The doctors of all the English ships spoke very handsomely of the w»y in which the injuries were dressed and treated. I was glad to have ^uch variously corroborating evidence of the cleverness of our surgeons, for they were such giillant fellows on a march that one liked to have his good opinion of them confirmed in all wa}T3. They went forth armed, not only with the instruments of their calling, but also with swords girded and rifles in hand, ready for operations of the most divergent character, either in or out of their line. 1874. KAME YAMA ENCAMPMENT. 151 Whatever doubt there may be as to the ability of the Japanese to construct a camp ujx)n strict military principles, there is no question that in choosing positions of wholesome comfort and natural beauty they have keen discernment and judgment. The old ground had been selected solely on account of the supposed necessity of holding a defensive situation. As soon as it was discovered that no attack from the natives coidd j)o?8ibly be apprehended, all interest in this locality was abandoned. The work on the intrenchments was suspended, and the attention of everybody concerned was directed to the improvement of the new site, two miles distant from the original landing place. That this spot, which* was, from the begin- ning, the choice of the Japanese officers as a place for permanent occupation, had immeasurable advantages over the old i)osition, subsecj^ient events ]>roved in a most discistrous way. The fevers that desolated the little army in the montlis of August and September would unquestionably have been averted if the troops had been, from the outset, stationed upon high ground, instead of in a jiain where they were subjected to incessant fogs and floods during the first month of occupation. A mistaken apprehension of attacks in force and conducted on established principles of regular warfare, — in which, it may be mentioned, the Japanese did not all participate — ^was the basis upon which they were jiersuaded to adopt a place of encampment which was objectionable to every sense of health and comfort, and from which they were glad to escajie at the earliest practicable oi)port- unity — not, unhappily, before the seeds of fatal disease were sown among them. . , Just to the south of the village of Sialiao is a little hill of some two hundred and fifty or three hundred feet in height, called, from its shape, Ku San (Toi-toise Hill) by the Chinese, and Kame Yama by the Japanese. It is the same acclivity that was ascended by Japanese officei-s on the 7th of May for purposes of observation. Beyond it, still further south, is a plot of level groimd some twenty acres in extent, slightly elevated above 152 ANIMATED NATUME. June 19, the level of the sea, and, while protected by surrounding hills from the extremest violence of the weather, open at all times to breezes which seem absolutely cool in comparison with the dire intensities of the valley. Here the new quarters were established, and from that time onward, for many weeks, Bxistence was tolerable. The actual heat was in no degree reduced, and it was not even tempered by heavy rains like those of the end of May, but there was no hour of the day or night without a cheering and refreshing wind, and the dangers of camp fever were for some time entirely forgotten. I fancy that to those who have faith in the delights of positive tran- quillity a prolonged cai'eer on this particular jiart of the Formosa coast would not have been, during these days, without its charm. The atmosphere was warm, but in this spot not debilitating, and the outlook was to some extent picturesque, combining many varieties of land and ocean irregularity. The temporary occupants — I mean the Japanese — ^were of a race that never could disturb the rational mind by excesses of temjier. Perfect courtesy was their universal rule. Animated nature was not otherwise superlatively engaging, though it possessed a few elements of interest. Our beasts were very few, and they were totally unattmctive. They were chiefly varieties of the cattle (water buffalos) of which I have before spoken. There were no hoi-ses — a few ponies, perhaps half a dozen, brought by the Jajianese, serving only as exceptions to this rule. Horses were not always unknown in Liangkiao, but the last three or four importations of stock by the co{ueakR, in "Don Quixote," of the noise caused by *• the ponderous wheels of an ox wagon, from whose harsh and continuous 154 DOLCE FAR NIENTE. June 19, "creaking, it is said, wolves and bears fly away in terror." The axles of ancient Spain were perhaps of a more obstinate and complaining character '^ but in Liangkiiio their utterance i^as rather agreeable than otherwise. The ungreased wheels send out a cry like that of a distant rustic horn, and I have often known it to be mistaken for the low steam whistle of a ship far out in the harbor. And, last of all, we had the jieriodic calls of the trum- peters, which, although they came a dozen times a day, seemed always strange and unusual in this wild district. They were the common calls of American and European usage, and were as often soimded amiss as correctly ; but I ceased to think of the errors of their delivery after I had been, witness to the pluck of the little buglcns in their marches to the in- terior. These lads were almost all about fourteen or fifteen yeai-s old, and they went through the whole of the work of the early days of this month as if they had been veterans. In addition to the instiimients of their calling they carried all the paraphernalia of the regular soldier, and they kept their appointed place in the line with as much persistence as the most experienced and most muscular of their comi)anions. Thus the calm routine of far nie^ite might easily satisfy the inactive mind ; but to volatile natures, like the Jajianese, the prolonged stagnation and the prospect of its indefinite continuation must have been immeasur- ably gloomy. The diversifying incidents were extremely few. Once a week or so a company came in from a camp in the momitains or on the opposite shore and another marched out to take its. place. At rare intervals a steamer arrived, bringing newsi)apei'S from Japan, and all who miderstood English had then a momentary amusement in observing how most of these publications vied with one another in demonstrating their singular spite, and their ignorance which was not all singular, respecting this veiy Formosa expedition ; which enterprise irritated them to frenzy by peraistently })r()- c ceding to the fulfilment of its well defined purpose regardless of their derision or then: attempts at criticism — " criticism which,'* to use the words 1874. SAiaO'S PLAN OF CONQUEST. 155 of one of their own number who had a clearer estimate than the others of ^the re8i)on8ibili4ieB of jouniaHsm, " simply consisted in standing in the mud " and throwing handfuls of it at Japan/' What that well deRned pnriwse was can hardly l)e too often repeated. It was to avenge the murder of a number of shipwrecked Japanese and to est?iblisli a sufficient security, in one way or another, against the recurrence of similar outrages. The sequel showed conclusively enough whether the countless imputations of different designs were true or false. Respecting the ideas of conquest, with which the Japanese were freely charged, I heai'd the commanding General Saigo, Siiy one evening that the invading army he would best like to introduce here — and would introduce if circumstances should combine to prolong his stay — ^would be a cori)8 of school teachers to redeem the savages from at least a portion of their utter ignorance. As to the political control of the region, he plainly stated that he would rather see it placed in the hands of any one of the more powerful chiefs — one that could be trusted in a certain de'gi'ee — than otherwise dis- IKjsed of. In that way, he thought, unless the Cliinose should be finally roused to assuming a jurisdiction that might insure positive security to strangers, the best guarantee of safety could be obtained. Occasionally, again, in the way of diversion, we were gathered to hear the narratives of Japanese explorei*s who had returned fiom various parts of the interior whither they had been sent to gather information. This method of col- lecting knowledge had been for a long time in progress. It commenced months before the sailing of the expedition, and was still actively pm-sued. One of the first investigators was Major Fukusima, whose name has fre- quently been mentioned in these pages. He, however, travelled only in the Chinese districts, whereas the later observers w^ent exclusively among the savages. They all reported the same wild and barbarous condition in every settlement, from North to South. The tribes were said to be alike in their ignorance of all but the rudest methods of cultivation, producing 158 DULL DAYS. June 19, only rice, tobacco and potatos, and not knowing how to avail themselves of luxuries that lay ready to their hand, like the sugar cane ; and in their de- fiance and hatred of the Chinese, whose authority they totally denied, and against whom they frequently arrayed themselves in "head-hunting" excursions, the results of which were to be seen in prominent displays of skulls in their villages. Their usages were described as generally the same, though a few slight differences were reported in the way of what they consider personal decoration. The styles of tattooing were not found to be always similar, and in some localities the custom did not exist ; and here and there a strange fancy was exhibited in the disappearance of the two front upper teeth from the mouths of the married women. On still rarer occasions a little relaxation was afforded by visits to or from the friendly "head-men " of the interior. They were still too shy to venture very freely among us, but they promulgated standing invitations to such hospitality as they could offer. For once in a way it served to amuse, but questionably cooked pigs and chickens were not long alluring, and the society of even the mildest-mannered savage rapidly ceased to attract. There seemed to be no doubt of the good feeling of most of the Southern tribes. Early in June, Saigo sent over some physicians to look after their geneml health, and this, I believe, has always proved the most effectual appeal to barbarian confidence all over the world. The chiefs were from that time almost oppressive in their protestations, and if the pigs of Formosa had had the ordinaiy instinct of their sjiecies, the approach of any Japanese officer of rank would have put every sty in a panic. But the native feasts were certainly dull. The incidents were monotonous and the interchange of conversational ideas was not brilliant. The wing of friend- ship never moulted a feather, so far as I know ; but it did not fan with sufficient vigor to rouse the breeze of exhilaration. We were reduced to the feeblest expedients for sustaining mutual interest. Fancy making the experiment of chemng betel-nut for absolute want of anything else to do. 1874. CHINESE QREED. . 157 I tried it, on one occasion, for half an hour or monj, without a result worth mentioning. The nut was carefully prepared according to the most ap- proved custom — that is, wrapped in a leaf smeared with lime. The taste was hardly distinguishable from that of checkerberries, and unless it may be in the flow of red saliva which it promotes, it was impossible to conceive where the charm of the practice could lie. After one trial there was cer- tainly no temptation for a stranger to repeat the operation. The natural results of the excessive munificence of the Japanese on their first arrival constantly manifested themselves, and sometimes in vexa- tious ways. One of Greneral Saigo's minor projects was the. establishment of a little exiMjrimental farm for the cultivation — or the attempt at cultivation — of plants hitherto foreign to the soil of Southern Formosa. Under no circumstances that can well be conceived could the Japanese have remained long enough to reap any practical advantage from this scheme, though undoubtedly th« inhabitants might have gained spme benefit from the results, if they had cared or known how to avail them- selves of them. But no sooner was his purpose made known than the proprietors of every desirable piece of ground for miles around became so inflated with the exi)ectation of sudden wealth that the most preposterous terms for rent were demanded. For the temporary use of a few acres sums far outreachmg their entire worth were asked and confidently looked for. The plan was, naturally, abandoned. It was of no special importance, but would hjxve had a certain interest for many, who were deprived of what might have served as a pleasant occupation for a few weary months. CHAPTER XXVIL SECOND VISIT FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS — MANNER OF THEIR RECEPTION COMPLIMENTS FROM A FOREIGN ADVISER — ^PERSONNEL OF THE MISSION — YANAOIWAR.V, JAPANESE ENVOY TO PEKING ^FIRST SUGGESTION OF REMONSTRANCE FROM CHINA — CONFERENCES IN SHANGHAI — ^VIOLATION OF CHINESE PLEDGES — ^INTERVIEWS BETWEEN GENEILVL SAIGO AND COMMIS- SIONER PAN WI — DIPLOMATIC CUNNING AND SOLDIERLY CANDOR. Relief from the absolute monotony which threatened lis suddenly appeared in an unexpected though by no means disagreeable way. On the even- ing of the 2l8t of June two Chinese ships of war sailed down from the north and anchored in the large bay about two miles distant from the new camp, — ^the safe and usual place of debarkation. A notification WfS presently sent on shore to the eifect that they brought certain oiBcials of really high rank, who had been commissioned by the government of Peking especially to confer with the Japanese representative in Formosa, with a view to the adjustment of all questions concerning the present con- dition of affairs and establishing satisfactory arrangements for the future. Gen. Saigo answered, that he should be l:appy to receive them on the following morning. At an early hour the next diiy, the Chinese ofiScers landed, with their suite, and were met upon the beach by an escort of troops, whose ap- pearance was unusually picturesque, from the fact that one half of them — Satsuma men — were dressed for the occasion in the old national war costume, *the other lialf being clad in their modern military garb. They proceeded at once to the village of Chasiang, a mile north of the old camp, 1874. RECEPTION OF CHINESE OFFICIALS. 159 where they secured comfortable qimrtera for the term of their visit. Every consideration and respect were shown theiu by our soldiers, a circumstance that will not seem remarkable to those who are aware of the scrupulous punctiliousness of the Japanese, but which produced a deep effect ujx)n the new comers. I have authority for saying that they were somewhat apprehensive of a different style of reception, and Mr. Giquel, a French gentleman attached to the commission, did not hesitate to declare his surprise and admiration at the fine behavior of all concerned. He was good enough to intimate that if the conditions had been revei-sed, he could not have answered for equal reticence and courtesy on the Chinese side ; and to aver that he certainly should not count upon similar good taste and manners in case of a reception by soldiers — on and off duty — of any Euro- I)ean nation. With as little dplay as possible the visitors settled their affairs in Chasiang, and proceeded at once to the old head-quarters, where Gen. Saigo was waiting to greet them. After a few brief and formal salutations, inseparable from Oriental etiquette, the Chinese deputation started ujwn the business of their mis- sion. They had, on their side^ an officer named Pan Wi, who indirectly represented the centiul government ; Ya Hen Lin, the Taotai or governor of Chinese Formosa; an assistant of the latter, and Messrs. Giquel and de Segonzac, two French gentlemen long connected with the ad- ministmtion of the Fuchao arsenal, and high in the confidence of the Chinese authorities. On the Japanese side. General Saigo was alone. The interview was interesting, though of coui-se not decisive, being regarded only as preliminary to other negociations. As an example of official intercourse in the East, I shall presently record it in somewhat minute detail, although it ought perhaps to be stated beforehand that the diplomatic formality and routine were almost exclusively on the part of the Chinese, Geneml Saigo treating the matters under discussion with a downright frankness and simi>licity that led, on this and subsequent occasions, to curious o ;j 160 YANAGIWARA 8AKJMITSR June 22, and probably unlocked for episodes. Tbe conver^tion opened with the announcement that the principal Chinese delegate, Shen Pao Chen, sent his respects from Taiwan Fu — -the Chinese capital of Formosa — ^to which place he had accompanied the em- bassy, but where he was detained by iUness. Not wishing to run the risks of prolonged delay, he had authorized his associate to represent and act for him in the completest way. This associate. Pan, then asked if a copy of the report of certain interviews, held at Shanghai between himself and Yanagiwara Sakimitsu, the Japanese Minister to Peking, had been received. Being informed that it had not, he stated that such interviews had taken place, the two officials having met accidentally at Shanghai, while Yanagiwara was on his way to the capital. With respect to this state- ment it is desirable to explain that the Japanese delegate in question, who was not only on ex-kuge, or nobleman of the old Kioto Court, but also, which was more to the purpose in the present state of affairs, a practised attache of the Foreign Office at Tokio, had received his apix)intment in the regular course of diplomatic arrangements, without especial reference to the question tljj^ eventually became the absorbing subject of discussion be- tween the two nations. He would have proceeded to his post sooner than he did but for the general delays and obstnictions which followed the firat manifestations of foreign interference, especially on the pirt of Mr. Bing- ham. He did, in fact, start from Tokio on the 19th of May, bearing cre- dentials that had been prepared as early as the 8th of Ajml, tlic chief purjiort of which was to reiterate to the Tsung li Yamen the friendly assurances that had already been given through other channels, and wliich were iden- tical in tone and spirit with those conveyed in the letter of General Saigo to the Viceroy of Fu Eien. Yanagiwara reached Shanghai on the 29th of May. While he was ' on his way, the first word of formal warning that the Chinese government might be moved to take a suspicious view of the Japanese proceedings was sent from Peking, in the form of a despatch 1874. CONSULTATIONS AT SHANGHAI. 161 from the Tsimg li Yamen to the Minister of Foreign AflEairs in Tokio. This document, which it may be necessary to refer to more particularly hereafter, admitted the fact that Soyezima, at the time of his visit in 1873, had brought up and discussed the subject of sending a mission to Formosa, but also put forward the pretence that the Yamen had never supposed that the persons entrusted with the task would be cujconipained by an armed force — an affectation which seemed at the time, and in the light of the subsequent admissions of the Chinese seems now still more, unworthy of serious consideration. The idea of attempting to deal with the savages without a force to fall back upon in case of extremity would have been equally prei)Osterous to Japanese, Chinese and more distant foreigners. The letter of the Yamen moreover contained a statement showing that the impulse to this unexpected declaration had proceeded from the Western Ministers residing at Peking. Yanagiwara having already started for China, the only answer returned by the Tokio government was to the effect that the matters now first adduced for consideration would be .duly entertained by that officer, in the regular discharge of his functions. Immediately after his arrival at Shanghai, the Japanese -Envoy was visited by Pan Wi, who was then on the way to Fuchao, whence he pro- posed to sail for Formosa. Learning from him of the new turn that ^ affairs were taking, Yanagiwara agreed to several informal interviews for the purpose of ascertaining at the earliest moment the views and intentions of the Chinese government. The critical character of the situation ap- ^ peared to warrant him in departing from the strict ^utine of official intercourse, and to gather all available information from this opportune source. There was no reason why he should conceal the true objects of his own government, which from the first had been openly declared when- ever the occasion required their disclosure. He learned from Pan that the superior officer, Shen Pao Chen, was on the point of proceeding to For- mosa with the design of entering into direct negociations with Saigo. 11 • . ■ r c ^'- V 162 BROKEN PROMISES. June 22, Upon this ])uint, ho took uccasioii to say that such a mea^ui'e would l)e a needless waste of time, iuasmuch as, although Saigo's i)ower6 in the man- agement of affairs on the island of Fonnosa were full and imrestricted, he had no authority to adjust questions that might arise between the Governments of Ja})an and China, and, even if he should consent to listen to proposals from Shen, the final result could only be determined after a reference to the higher authorities at home. He therefore advised Pan, in the common interest, to communicate this statement to Shen and to induce that officer to carry the subject before only the tribunals that were competent to deal with it.* This coui-se the Chinese sub-commissioner promised to take, but, as the event showed, h§ was not successful in per- suading his superior, if indeed, he ever made the effort to do so, which seems doubtful. Having joined Shen at Fuchao, he immediately started with him on their joint errand, aniving at Liangkiao on the 20th of June, as stated above. Pan Wi having put his question in regard to the report of the Shang- hai interviews, and received the answer from General Saigo, he proceeded to express his regret that a notification had not been sent to China in regard to the intention of the Japanese to visit Formosa (Taiwan) and punish the offending savages. If such warning liad been given in time, the Chinese government would have supplied a force to accompany the Japanese and assist in the operations, — but the work having now been completed, it was too late foir China to attempt to participate. Saigo answered that word had certainly been sent to declare and explain the •The following extract ii fiMii a written comnmnicatioii from Yanagiwara to Pun VTi, "delivered in the course of the conferences alluded to:— "It 18 quite true tliat Saigo Ima full •* powers fo far as matters in Aboriginal Forinoan are concerned, lie being Comminder in ** Chief of the troops sent tlrero bj our government. 15ut he has no (*onniii:«i»ion to ni'gi»ci;ito *' with the Chinese Government. I, therefore, will converse with vou in refopfncc to the in- "structions which I have received from my Emperor, after you shall have hud an interview " with Comuissionor Shen. " '~j 1874. CHINA CLAIMS JURISDICTION. . 163 purj)oses of his government, and, furfchermore, that Soyezima, the Japanese amhassador, had requested the whole subject to he examined, at the time o^ his visit, one year ago. The Chinese Commissioner said it was quite true that a messenger liad recently pissed through China with letters from the Japanese authorities, but that the bad condition of the roads between Fuchao and Peking had made it impossible for him to deliver his news in time. Saigo remarked that it was a mistake to suppose that the work was entirely done, and that he expected to be obliged to remain yet some time, to execute all the instmctions of his government and secure guarantees for the future safety of his countrj'men ; to which the Commissioner replied that he understood and respected that view of the affair, and did not dispute the General's right to entertain it. He entirely comprehended the purposes of the Japanese and admitted the propriety of their fulfilment ; but, inasmuch as the whole of Formosa, with all its inhabitants, savages and others, belonged to China, it became the duty of the Chinese author- ities, also, to inquire as to who had been the assailants in the slaughter of the Riu Kiuans, in 1871, and to discover, in a more general way, who among the population were well-behaved and who were criminals : this was one of the most important parts of the service with which he was charged. The Taotai of Taiwan then observed that he hael heard it was the intention of the Japanese to attack the aboriginal settlement of Pilam, on the eastern coast, and he wished to inquire if this was true. The ques- tion, for some reason, was not answered, — ^possibly because the fact of Japan having no cause whatever of complaint against Pilam rendered it unworthy of a serious reply. The Commissioner next produced his own record of the interview, before alluded to, between Pan and Yanagiwara, which Saigo read and found to contain, on the part of the Japanese Minister, a repetition of the frequently declared object of his government, — ^namely, to destroy or sufficiently punish the Botan murderers, by means of an expedition which should furthermore take effective measures to 164 CO-OPERATIVE FEOPOSALS. Juke 22, prevent the recurreoce of such outrages. This document having been read, the Commissioner said he would like to know what plan the General had decided upon, if any, for the prevention of future misdeeds. In re- sponse, Saigo stated that he undoubtedly had a plan which seemed to him suitable and sufficient, but he did not think it desirable to reveal it, especially as his operations were still in progress. The savage tribes were not yet completely brought to terms, and his troops were scattered in various parts of Southern Formosa, and it seemed to him* altogether inex- pedient to communicate the details of his plan. The Commissioner said that he had come to Formosa by the direction of his government, to super- intend the settlement of the affairs of the entire disturbed district, in co- operation with the Japanese Commander ; and asked if the latteV had nothing to disclose, with a view to mutually carrying out this design. Saigo answered that he also came under very distinct directions from his government, but that they related solely to the punishment of the savages and the security of safety for the future, aud did not contemplate any co- operation with Chinese officials; that on his arrival he found tliat the Chinese-speaking people of the region were in no way under the control of China, and that the savages were utterly wild and lawless, beyond the control of everybody, and requiring to be dealt with by a vigorous hand. This he had done by himself, and he had now no Ojheme of co-oi^eration to propose, nor could he accept or submit to any. The Commissioner — counselled, I think, by the foreign gentlemen beside him, though I must not be positive on this point — continued to press his proposal for repeated con- .ferences and combined action, but Saigo steadily declined, particularly as these suggestions were always accompanied by declarations that the legitimate sway of China extended over all Formosa and its people — a position which the Japanese General was not disposed to admit, conceiving that the ques- tion had already been debated and adjusted by Soyezima in Peking, and that, under any circumstances, it was not necessary for him to discuss it | 1874. CAUTIOUS RESERVE. 165 here. In fact, he remarkeil that if the Commissioner desired to continue any general discussions based upon that theory, he thought it could be more appropriately done through the Japanese Envoy to the Chinese Court — ^that it was more correctly a subject of negociation between the two nations than between individual commissioners at a distant point. This terminated the official part of the meeting, and the conference was soon broken up, arrangements being made for a second interview, for the-pre- sentation of certain points vhich the Chinese held in reserve. This was fixed for the 24th inst. On the afternoon of the 22nd, G^n. Saigo visited the Commissioner at his temporary residence in Chasiang — a call of courtesy merely, and not for the consideration of public business, although Pan Wl took advantage of the opportunity to briefly reassert hi& claim that the labor of the future pacification of the savages should be ultimately and de- finitely undertaken by China alone. CHAPTER XXVUL CHINESE VISITS TO THE INTERIOR — FINAL CONFERENCE — A RAY OF LIGHT — ^PLAIN EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION — SHARP WORDS — ^I'RACTICaL PROPOSALS FAVORABLY RECEIVED — TERMS OF SETTLEMENT SUGOBSTED COURTESIES TO THE VISITORS — JAPANESE AND CHINESE SOLDIERS CONTRASTED. The next day was occupied by the Chinese, so far as I could learn, in es- tablishing communications with some of the independent coast villages in the neighborhood, and in sending messengers, with presents, etc., to those savage tribes in the interior which the exertions of the Japanese had rendered accessible. But for these previous exertions, it would have been impossible for the Chinese to carry through such interviews with any degree of safety. No feeling appears to be more keenly cherished by the mountaineers than their traditional hatred of all Chinese, and especially those coming from a distance, whose speech is entirely unintelligible to them. But now the visitors found little difficulty in reaching Sawali and other villages in which the pacifically-disposed "head-men " resided. Of course they made no attempt to enter the territory of the Botan or Kusu- kut tribes. WTiat the nature of their communications may liave been it is impossible to say. The Japanese officers made no effort to discover, and they were not of a nature to cause any alteration in the behavior of the savages toward our trooT)S — either those encamped among them or nearer head-quarters. The last and most important conference between the Japanese Greneral and the Commissioner began on the afternoon of June 24th and was con- tinued through the 25th. The results arrived at i)romised a speedy term- 1874. METHODS OF DISCUSSION. 167 iiiaticni of the active operations of the Jajxinese. Although the refusals of Saigo to assume the responsibility of absolute decision were as positive as ever, he nevertheless found it i)ossible to i)romi8e that ihe Chinese proposals should be forwarded, with favorable endorsements, to his govern- ment, and to indicate his personal satisfaction with their general tenor. There would have been slight occasion for subsequent proceedings, if the course of the Chinese officials had been sustained by those who sent them, and the conditions which they expressed themselves ready and em- ix)wered to fulfill had been faithfully and promptly executed by their suj^riors. It is hardly desirable to follow minutely the course of a con- versation which extended over so many hours, and in which many points were introduced, at times, which proved to be irrelevant to the final settle- ment. Each party conducted his side of the discussion in the way that best suited his individual or national character. The Chinese officer was circumspect, deliberate, wary, and highly polished in tone and expression. General Saigo was frank and straight-forward, and, though always cour- teous in manner of si)eech, was, I presume, far too abnipt in his declarations of detemiined conviction to suit the circuitous smoothness of Chinese state- craft. A single instance will show the vast difference in the methods of treating the questions at issue adopted by the two men. The topic of the future control of the savages was under consideration. China's represen- tative declared the readiness of his government to give pledges that they would maintain a sufficient force to keep jierfect order in future. The General replied to the eifect that he did not doubt that pledges would be given, but was by no means assured that they would be adhered to with fidelity. On being asked why, he intimated that the whole course of the Chinese, in the Formosa business, had been one of dujilicity ; that they perfectly well knew the Japanese causes of complaint two ycai's ago, and now pretende J ignorance of them up to a kt<3 period ; that they had disclaimed jurisdiction over the savage territory unt|^ within a few weeks, and now 168 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. June 25, announced that they had always assumed it ; that it had been open to them at any time since 1871 to punish the Botans, by themselves, for the mas- sacre of the Japanese subjects, whereas they now affected great regret at not having been invited to accompany the expedition for chastising them, and that, aU things considered, he did not believe they would keep the savages in subjection, even if they promised to. Whereupon Pan Wi flew into a rage, prudently directing his ire, however, not toward the General, but against the interpreter, whom he accused of falsely translating what Saigo had oaid ; averring that it was impossible that the Japanese Commander could have used such language, and directing him to rejwrt to his master exactly the rebuke he had received. But it is not at all in Saigo 's nature to accept a proposal for this sort of evasion, so he stated that his interpreter was not at all responsible, and repeated his conviction ; but added, when the Commissioner gave indications of irrepressible wrath, that if this particular subject was disagreeable, it could be abandoned for a while, and resumed at another time. Episodes like this were certainly not frequent^ but their occasional occurrence served to show that the Japanese oflficer would not agree to any terms of settlement that should not strictly bind the Chinese to the complete fulfilment of all their obligations. This detail is anticipatory. From the beginning, the sole desire of the Commissioner, Pan, seemed to be to establish the right of his govern- ment to jurisdiction over the whole of the soil of Formosa. Equally from the beginning, the Japanese General pointed out how repeatedly that claim had been waived. At the same time, he did not hesitate to assure the Chinese official that the Japanese had no purpose of attempting to wrest from China even an imaginary possession. His design was, as it had always been, to inflict a necessary punishment, and establish a state of security for the future. Gradually, the idea was brought forward, on the other side, that the difficulty might be arranged by China's assuming the task of preserving peace throughout the disturbed region hereafter. Then arose 1874. TERMS OF SETTLEMENT. 169 the amusing little break in the discussioii which I have described above. In course of time the suggestion arose aud gained favor that the Chinese might give substantial guarantees of the integrity of their intentions. This grew out of an intimation, on the part of the Japanese? that, if all this region had really been under China's control, then Japan had been doing the work that- China ought to have done but had neglected, at an expenditure which should properly have fallen upon the other party. Although merely an incidental observation, not intended as especially jvertinent, this was, I*think, somewhat eagerly seized upon. Suppose that the Peking Government would undertake to reimburse the Japanese for their outlay, — ^would that meet any of the questions in dispute ? It seemed to be agreed on all sides that this would at least stand as strong evidence of good faith. And so, after many divergencies and variations of slight import, it was ultimately agreed, on the evening of June 26th, that the active operations of the Japanese should be suspended, pending a reference of terms of settlement, for final consideration, to the respective governments. These terms were to be substantially as follows : The Chinese authorities to reimburse the Japanese for the cost of their expedition. The Chinese to guarantee such occupation of the savage territorv of Formosa as should prevent the recurrence of outrages upon strangers. These conditions effected, the Japanese forces to be withdrawn.* * Tlie infelligence of tliis basis of agreement was telegraphed at the earliest moment from Amoj to the JVew Ywk Herald, in wliich journal it appeared ahout the middle of Jalj. Its accuracy was repeatedly denied by Europeans and Americans in China and Japan, and the theory that the former empire would ever consent to acknowledge a pecuniary ubliga- tion, or that the latter would hare the courage to exact the payment, was received with universal derision. Up to the last moment, clie utter impossibittty of such a termination to the Affair was noisily and insolently proclaimed by various organs of public opinion in Japan, and, asserted with more moderation, though hardly less confidently, in China. The result, in November, demonstrated with what firmness the Japanese were capaSle of main- taining their juU position, tlirough four monthly of diffieult negociatlQu, during wkieh aU 170 THE END APPARENTLY AT HAND. Junk 25, The Chinese Commissioner expressed not the slightest doubt of the willingness of his government to subscribe to this agreement, and giive it to be imderstood that he was acting with full authority in offering it, and that the reference to Peking was solely a matter of formality. It was therefore reasonable to believe that the occupation of Southern Formosa would terminate in a very short time, and that the duties of the Japanese, in that island, were virtually ended. They were, in fact, required to do nothing until the time of their departure, which took place in December, and which might have taken place much earlier but for the ba;«i faith exhibited by the Peking government. But, notwithstanding the evasions and delays that followed, the original aim of the promoters of the expedition was alrt^ady as good as accomplished, and in a far more satisfactory way than was, or could have been, at first anticipated. The lesson given to the savage marauders had been effective and lasting. The fact had been thoroughly demonstrated that injuries to any of the subjects of Japan, at least in Asiatic waters, would not pass unredressed. The region which had for years been a terror to all Eastern navigators would hereafter, through the action of Japan, be free from peril — i. c. supposing China to hold to that part of the proposed compact. And it now seemed certain that all would have been done — ^which was a comforting practical con- sideration — ^without any exhausting drain upon a national treasury which undoubtedly needed restoration i*ather than depletion. During the brief term of the above described visit, no opportunity was lost of offering those attentions and tokens of formal courtesy which it is the spontaneous instinct of the Japanese gentry to bestow, and which invari- ably distinguishes their intercourse, even with opponents, so long as inter- course upon any terms can be maintained. On the occasion of their disembarkation, the Chinese were received by a lx)dy of soldiers variously i the artiflres of tlie inoet cunning os well us obstinate i.at'on of tlie East, together with nn iinnaraMeled amount of rxt'rrnal discourngemnet, were united in co-operation against them. 1874. SOLDIERS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 171 attired and accoutred so as to represent the military system of past years as compared with that of the present day. It is not impossible that an indirect moral was intended to be pointed by this peculiar display, but no outward sign of any such purpose was sufifered to appear. Each time that the Commissioners came to headquarters, they were accompanied by a battalion of troops, who remained in attendance during the entire period of the inter- view. Here, again, the probable effect of the fine and soldierly bearing of the Japanese men, which was doubly conspicuous from the insignificant quality of the Chinese cortoge, may have been one of the motives for the elaborate forms and ceremonies that were carried out. It is hardly possible that the contrast between the vigorous, alert and confident aspect of these soldiers, their excellent appointments and the precision of their movements, and the languid and stolid demeanor of the "braves," with their tawdry costumes and obsolete weapons, could have escaped the attention of the visitors. • But, as I have said, there was bo open indication of a desire to produce imposing effects, and it is certain that, a^)art from this consideration, sup- posing it to have existed, the complimentary demonstrations would have been on quite as thorough and extensive a scale. The same disjwsition was shown in the care taken to protect the commissioners from disturbance in their somewhat rash journey to the interior, although this could not be accompanied by ostentatious phow, and, in fact, was probably entirely unlmown to those on those on whose behalf it was exercised. On the 26th, the Chinese party took leave. Their 8hii)S had taken unwilling leave before them, having been driven northward, from Liangkiao Bay, by a violent storm, on the 25th. They were consequently obliged to march by land to Takao, forty miles distant. They embarked, not with- out difficulty, at Takao or Taiwan Fu, and we learned with regret that several of the sailors of their men-of-war were drowned in the first attempts at landing at those places.^ * See Appniidix, J. CHAPTER XXIX. LETTERS FROM UNITED STATES* OFFICERS — ^THB AMERTCANS AGAIN WARNED — CONSULAR NOTIFICATION — EXCITEMENT IN AMOY — JAPANESE HOSTILE MOVEMENTS DISCONTINUED. On the afternoon of the Ist of July, a little Chinese gunboat came into the harbor, from which presently landed a messenger, who announced himself as a deputy marshal of the United States' Consul at Amoy. He brought private letters from that officer to Messrs. Cassel and Wasson, the former of whom also received communications from Commander Kautz, of the " Monocacy,*' writterf, as I understood, in accordance with instructions from ' Admiral Pennock. *These despatches were all of an admonitory , character, and their purpose was to warn the gentlemen to whom they were addressed not to participate in any hostile action against the Chinese govern- ment. There were two reasons why notifications of this kind were super- fluous. In the first place, no hostility toward China had at any time been contemplated, and in the second the services for which Messrs. Cassel and Wasson were especially engaged had never been called into requisition, so that, since the third or fourth day after landing, they had simply occupied the position of interested sj^ctators. In the few events in which they had taken part, their action had been accidental and subsidiary, and entirely aside from the duties which at the outset it was supposed they would be called upon to perform. The Chinese authorities, however, always stimu- lated by foreign suggestions, chose to attach to their presence a fictitious importance, and, by their urgent representations, persuaded the civil and military authorities to address them as above indicated. I believe that 1874. CONSULAR WARNING. 173 they considered it sufficient to send, in response, a brief statement of the actual condition of affairs, denying any intention of assisting in warlike operatiohs and promising to withdraw in the improbable event of a collision with China. The following circular document was also delivered by the deputy marshal. As only three Americans were connected, directly or in- directly, with the expedition, the expense of putting it in print seemed rather a useless extravagance ; but undoubtedly the Consul could not be a>vare of the exact number, and thought it best to err, if* at all, on the side of profusion : — NOTIFICATION. - Unitid Statkb' Cokbulate, Amot and iHB Dependbncies Thkbeof, June 16, 1674. All ciiizeus of the United States are horebj notified iind warned to at once withdraw from the Japanese nnned expedition. now operating in tlie island of Formosa, and hereafter to aroid anj connection with (Imt enterprise, under penalty of arr'est and trial for riolation of the laws of neutrality. J. J. HENDERSON, ITnited States' Consul. Bj instruction from Uon. S. Wells WilliamSi United States' Cliarg^ d'Affaires, Peking. The obvious mi9ai)prehensions under which the instructions ordaining this notification must have been issued, although they could hardly excuse its promulgation, served as sufficient justification for the indifference with which it was received. And, in fact, had any serious attention been paid to it, the result would have been more awkward, if possible, for the consular authorities in China than that which ultimately befel them. Their right to interfere in this and other ways was not recognized by their superiors in Washington, and the circuiiistance of their interference being in this instance disregarded undoubtedly saved them from considerable embarrass- ments. The messenger brought little news beyond what seemed a some- what exaggerated account of the excitement in Amoy,* which, he said, amounted to a positive j)anic among the native merchants, some of whom had wound up their aflairs and made ready for flight in anticipation of an attack by the Japanese. 174 SUBMISSION OF TEE BOTANS. July 1. Immediately after the return of the Commissioners Shen and Pan to China, for further consultation with their government, all active movements in the Southern peninsula were discontinued. General Saigo kept positive faith with his recent visitors, and suspended his arrangements for the establishment of new camps in various positions. At the same time, meetings for the continuance of discussions which were cony^aenced before the Chinese visitors anived, were still held between the chiefs of the Botan and Kusukut villages and certain Japanese officers, l^ese savages did not hesitate to acknowledge themselves beaten and broken, and their habit- ual attitude was now one of humility. They were assured that, for a time, at least, no further rigor would be exercised toward them, and the " head- " men " were invited to come to the camp on the same terms as those of the well-disposed nilei-s further south. But they C9uld not feel sufficient confidence for this. The iriendly savages said that the Botans had been ashamed to come in contact even with them, ever since their defeat and 4 dispersal. CHAPTER XXX. STORM ON THE FOBMPSA COAST — ^HASTY FLIGHT — ^INVOLUNTAUY TRIP TO AMOY — ^PANIC AMONG THE CITIZENS — ^.VCTION OF THE UNITED STATES* OFFICERS — LETTER FROM THE- VICE ROY AT FU KIEN — CHINESE DREAD OF AMERICAN CO-OPERATION — ^FALLACY OF CLAIMS OF JURISDICTION — REPEATED OFFICIAL DENIA LS. Early in July, I had a practical experience of the irresistible violence of the Formosa Channel storms at this season of the year. On the afternoon of the 6th, I -went on board the steam-ship *' Takasago-Maru " to prepare for a final departure from the Japjinese Camp in Formosa ; which promised little, from that time, in the way of attraction, and which, though the danger was not then suspected, presently became a scene of wretchedness and desolation through the ravages of an epidemic from which hardly an individual of tlie party escaped entirely unharmed. Toward the evening, a heavy westerly wind set in, which rendered landing next to impossible. On the following morning an attempt wiis made to send a steam-launch on shore, but the little craft soon became unmanageable and was obliged to anchor half way between the ship and the beach. A little after noon, the " Takasago's ** anchora were found to be dragging, and the vessel driving upon the low rocks that fringe the insecure road stead. Thecables were slipped, and the steamer started away as ftpecdily as might be in the direction of the Pescadores Islands, one of which contains an excellent liarbor. But as the night advanced the gale • increased to such an extent that it wtis thought imprudent to search for this refuge, and the course was shaped for Amoy, at which ix)rt ^ye arrived 176 PANIC AT AMOY. " July 9, in due season, after a great deal of discomfort, but, I presume, no partic- ular danger. The " Takasago '* was formerly the Peninsular and Oriental 1 Steamship "Delta," an old but serviceable vessel, which the Japanese might harve been glad to possess, if they had wanted any of the sort at all. But they did not. She was purchased under pressure of circumstances oc- casioned by the action of the United States' Legation,^at Tokio. It was one of the compulsory bargains which the stoppage of the steamship "New " York " at Nagasaki^ in April, had rendered inevitable. . This involuntary visit to Amoy afforded the opportunity of examining the real state of feeling among the inhabitants, and of inquiring as to the causes that might have led to the Consul's action in issuing the notification heretofore mentioned. In regard to the former, it api)eared that the reports of a partial panic, among the lower classes, if not among some of the higher, were not without foundation. I am by no means sure that it was not, to an extent, shared by the local authorities. At any rate, no ofScial attempt appeared to have been made toward arresting it. Not a few of the populace had really gone into the interior, and it was said to be per- fectly true that numbers of merchants had suspended their traffic, in anticipation of the necessity for sudden flight. A single incident served to show the current of popular feeling. One of the servants attached to the American Consulate was so confident of the impending invasion that he petitioned Mr. Henderson to be allowed to bring his aged father and mother under the protection of the United States, and lodge them, for a time, in one of the outbuildings of the establishment. In Taiwan Fu, the principal city of Formosa, the trepidation was said to be even greater, and junk-loads of fugitives were coming over to the main land each week. If all this was as represented, — and much of it undoubtedly was, — ^the unusual preparations of the Chinese were probably the real cause. So much bustle aud confusion, and so much pretence of military concentration, had not been known in this part of China for generations; 1874. VICEREGAL CORIIESPONDENOE. 177 With regixrd to the action of the Unitcssible contingencies of the future. Among these latter the only doubts jis to an easy solution of the whole Formosa question seemed to arise from an uncertainty respecting the ability or disposition of the Chinese to adhere to their pledger. That these doubts were not unreasoniiWe, the course of the Peking rulers, during the two 184 LAST VIEWS OF THE GAMPS. July 16, months following, supplied a disagreeable proof. Within the GeneraVs house strange visitors, whose dress indicated high rank, were visible. These were itiessengers who had been specially sent by the Mikado to bring con- gratulations to the Commander-in-chief for the success of his operations. They were Hojio, an ex-daimio, and at that period attached to the Imperial household, and two others, connected with the War Department. The lanes at the back of the encampment were active with the customary wandering native merchants of both sexes, bearing their stores of traffic on heads and -shoulders, wallring with supermitural erectness and malpng the valley resound Avith their cries, which had come into fashion again, the rules against them having been tacitly suspended. The seii beach in front of the settlement was a scene of some desolation. Many boats had l)een destroyed by the stonn of the 7ih and 8th, including the steam launch, which had vainly attempted to make its way from the " Takasago " to the shore, and the sands were strewn mth their fragments. The heat was still fierce and unrelenting, and I need hardly say tliat no sensation of regret shadowed my own departure from this arid and in- hospitable soil. To a casual jiasser, unacquainted with the real miseries of the place, the little clusters of cottiiges might offer an agreeable and even an inviting picture ; but to one who had endured an enfeebling sojourn of two months among them they suggested little in a personal way besides recollections of discomfort. In a broader sense they had, {)erha][)s, a better and higher significance, for they represented the only approivch to genuine humanity and civilization that had been displayed upon this island, and, so long as they shoidd be suffered to last by whoever, might take final Ix)ssession of them, they would stand as the record of a mission tliat luvd done a good work, not only for the country which pknned and performed it, but for the whole community of nations. It was already certain tliat, whatever else might betide, the passage of the Formosa coast was from that time free irom its worst jHiril. There would be no more slaughter of 1874. JAPAN'S SERVICES TO HUMANITY. 185 unhappy castaways, and neither England nor America need again be troubled by the consciousness of a duty hastily undertaken and as speedily thrown aside. The task which they had not thought it worth while to enter upon with real decision and determination had now been executed by Japan ; and, litemlly in sjute of them — or their representatives in the East — their own wrongs had been avenged by a little Empire in whose jiath they piled every obstacle that ingenuity or audacity could suggest. Twice within the past three yeai*s Jai)an had rendered a service to human- ity, in defiance of the combined and threatening hostility of the authorized delegates from almost every tower that holds relations with its government. In 1872, it fought the fight against the coolie trade so gallantly that the infamy of that birbarous traffic no longer darkens the earth. And now it had cleared the highway of the Pacific of a danger and a dread which had hung over it for a quarter of a century. Thanks to Ja^>an, if nothing else on her own behalf could bo accomplished, there woidd at least be no more " liover " massacres to lament and leave unredressed. From the day of Saigo*s de^yarture from Formosa, the Siivages of that island would cease to be a terror to Eastern voyagers. The woret of them had been punished for the jiast-and all of them had learned their lesson for the future. Their i)Ower to harm was broken forever, — ^unless it might be to harm those who had fo long neglected the duty of restraining their wild excesses and who were still held in contempt by them — and it would be with a just pride that Japan could look back upon the achievement and say, as the ancient conqueror said, " Alone I did it." Upon arriving at Nagasaki, toward the end of July, I found that usually placid little town in the high fever of patriotic excitement which was already beginning to manifest itself throughout the country. Ko id«i as to the nature of the secret negociations in progress had been obtained by the public, and it was known only that China had suddenly been moved to assert a right of interfei'ence in some way utterly offensive to tht» 186 POPULAR ENTHUSIASM, July 20, sense of Japanese dignity and national right. The character of the people is such that the mere suspicion of such an affront was all that ^ was needed to rouse them to a state of exasperation. At that moment they had no clear view of the means by which they should demonstrate their con- sciousness of injury, but one general proposition was maintained, that China had attempted to imiKjfle the sovereign progress of Jiii>an, and China must straightway be hiunbled. Of course the government would take good heed concerning the methods to be employed, and whatever the government might decide upon must of necessity be right ; but if the rulers at Tokio could only be influenced a little by the mind and voice of the people, the course they would adopt should be a verj^ dii-ect and emphatic one. And there were many signs, just then, that pointed to a probable fulfilment of this intense popular desire. The great activity in naval movements, and the large preparations that were gradually accumulating at Nagasaki were among these. It was natural that the untutored community should fail to recognise that even if the government were wholly disinclined to warlike operations on a broad scale, the best and mtst effective measures for honorably averting their necessity were the prompt organizjition and development of ample defensive and offensive ixjsources. All that they saw was, that great works were going on ; and to share in these works was all that they desired. Along the route from the touthem port to the capital, the same tokens of alacrity and vivid exi>ectation were everywhere apjiarent. Each provincial capita.1 was in a flutter of eagerness that presently grew to as fervent and noble an impulse of devotion as ever thrilled through any land. In Tokio itself, as was not imnatural, tlie pojnilar mind was calmer. Here the discreet reticence of the government officials acted as a restraint upon the passionate demonstrations thai were elsewhere subject to no check. But the feeling was not less deep, though it was less vehement in its ex- pression. It was jilainly api>arent that, if the aj)prehenBions respecting 1874, NATIONAL CONFIDENCE. 187 Chinese evasions in the adjustment of the superfluous difficulty they had raised should b« realized, and a real cause of hostility should arise there- from, the call of the government upon the people to sustain it would be answered with no unwilling voice. And, as is not uncommon in such periods of national exaltation, this exuberant enthusiasm was tempered by no feeling but that of absolute confidence that the fortunes of Japan would triumph in whatever struggle might await her. CHAPTER XXXII. ATTITUDE OK THE ADMINISTRATION — ^I'ACIHC INCLINATIONS — ^MISSION OK GENEUAL LE GENDUE TO FU KIEN — AUllEST AND REI EASE — FORMAL DIS- APPROVAL OF UNITED states' OFFICIALS — OKUIJo's NEW FIELD OF DUTY. These gi-atifyiiig manifestations of the popular detennhiation to sustain tlie government through the difficulties it might be recjuired to encounter, while they proved the existence of a sufficient basis of supix)rt in the hist necessity, could not be allowed to directly influence the action of the administration, at this point of affairs. The first purpose of the i-ulere at Tokio was now to bring the ojierations, which had thus far been attended with complete success, to a satisfactory and peaceful end. This single interruption to a thorough good understanding with Cliiua had been wholly contrary to their desires, and had been brought about by means for which they could not be held responsible ; but they were still resolved to spai*e no effort to tranq[uillize the uneasy susceptibilities of th it querulous nation, which had been so unexpectedly roused from its habitual torpor and j)ersuaded to assert, in a dreamy and uncertain way^ claims which it clid not yet clearly comprehend and which it never intended to seriously main- tain. Accordingly, they giive no encouragement to the few outcries for immediate war which were heard, and devoted themselves to the organi&i- tion oi such measures as would place the empire in a sound and efficient condition, in case the final resort to extremities should become inevitable. The position assumed by the government mpidly came to be underatood and accepted by the country ; and after the first ebullition of anger, the general feeling shaped itself into an earnest and unbroken series of efforts 1874. Alt REST OF GENERAL LE GENDRE. 189 tc) co-operato in the public policy which was frankly proclaimed. An iinporta-nt measure in the interest of peace was taken at the end of July, as soon as the new attitude of the Chinese government had been clearly defined and fathomed. This was the despatch of General Le Gendre to the south of China, with instructions to proceed to Fuchao and enter upen a series of explanatory jiegociations with the Viceroy at Fu Kien. He was not suffered even to begin this labor. Upon arriving at Amoy, through which place it was necessary for him to i^ass, he was forcibly aiTCsted by the Marshal of the United States' Consulate, assisted by officers and marines of the ship " Yantic.*' The cirpumstances of the seizure and detention were aggravated by many conditions which were apparently in- tended to' be humiliating, but the liarshness of which ultimately recoiled upon the originators of the action. He was prevented from visiting Fuchao, and was sent to Shanghai, where he was immsdiately released, with the same disregard of forms and explanations as that which had accom- jxinied bis arrest. The opportunity for the effective fulfilment of the duties assigned to him had now passed, and he made no effort to return to Fu Kien. What those duties were, and to what extent their successful execu- tion would pi-obably have affected the issue, it would now* be useless to reconsider. But it may not be out of place to say that this second unwarranted interference in the movements of those whom the Japanese had attached to their seiTice was at least as niischievous in its immediate consequences as the first less flagrant intrusion of the United Stiites' Minister, in Tokio, and entailed even greater possibilities of' material ' calamity, the worst of which, happily, were never realized. Inasmuch as the action of every official connected with this arbitrary and illegal exercise of Consular authority was instantly repudiated in the strongest terms of which dii^omatic condemnation is |)08sible, short of positive dismissal from the public service, it is unnecessary to bestow further attention upon it than to reiterate the regret, which was then univemilly 190 OKUBO'S NEW MISSION. Sept. 10, expressed by impartial citizens of America in the East, that the reputa- tion of their country should have been sullied and its influence imperilled by the paiuftd and mortifying display of ignorance and incapacity in which the Consul General at Shanghai assumed the leading part and throughout • which he was assisted, with various manifestations of' moral encouragement and practical efficacy, by his nominal superior at Peking and subordinate at Amoy. The course of the Japanese agents at Amoy and Shanghai, in the trying and novel situation, was such as to suggest a series of awkward and unpleasantly significant comparisons between the official demeanor, not less than the sagacity and ability, of the inexperienced but prudent and con- scientious representatives of the Easterni Empire and the more startling, if not more admirable characteristics of the servants of the Western Republic. A few days after the departure of General Le Gendre for the south of China, the eminent Minister, Okubo Tosimiti, was again called from the duties of his regular office to undertake a new and more important work than any that liad before been entrusted to him. The position was felt to be already critical, and that it might speedily become more so, was obvious to all who were aware of the obstinacy with which the Chinese would un- doubtedly adhere to their new theories, having been once driven to the point of declaring them. It was determined to send this tmsted counsellor, who had given so many proofs of ability in the most complicated exigencies, upon a special mission to Peking, with instructions to assume the entire direction of affairs, on the side of Japan, and with full powers to act in the name of the Emperor, to the extremest limit of judgment and decision. If the threatening disturbances could be set aside by any combination of caution and firmness, it was believed that he, better than any other could secure that end. At the same time, it was thoroughly well known that no step calculated to lessen the national dignity in any degree would be sanc- tioned by him. The announcement of his appointment which was made on the 5th of August, was received with universl gratification. 1874. Mli. BINGHAM AGAIN. 191 Okubo landed at Tien Tsin on the 2nd of September, where he was immediately joined by General Le Lendre, who from that time continued to act as a member of the commission of which the Jai)anese ambassador \yas the chief. After a brief sojourn at this outpost, the party started, on the 6th, for Peking, in which city they arrived on the 10th. It ^vill not be out of place to remark that shortly after the intelligence of China's assumption of the new position was received in Japan, the United States' Minister thought it expedient to order the publication of a notice warning American citizens "against engaging in any hostile acts" toward that government, " under such penalties as are provided by statute "and cf forfeiture of the rights of citizenship." Notwitlistanding all the assurances, both personal and official, that ho had received, Mr. Bingham still preferred to rely and to act upon the groundless suggestions of his own fancy. He is now doubtless aware that no American contemplated any "hostile act" toward China. It is proj^r to say that the functionary through whom this proclamation was put forth Mr. Mitchell, the Vice Consul at Yokohama, was by no means satisfied with the duty thrust upon him, having different views of the necessities of the case, and prefeniug that Mr. Binghamr should declare and exerciee, in his own name, whatever power might belong to him. The position of a Consular officer, under such circumstances, is extremely embarrassing. If he decline to execute the orders of a Minister, he is subjected to sharp criticism. If on the other hand, he executes an order that is afterward disapproved by the State Department, he is subjected to reprimand, and is not allowed to plead the excuse of having acted under superior authority. CHAPTER XXXIIL COMPLICATED DIPLOMACY — VAGARIES OF PAN Wl — YANAOIWARA IN PEKING — ^PROTRACTED DEBATES — ADVENT OF OKUBO — ^A NEW DEPARTURE — EF- FORTS TO DISCOVER THE TRUE CHINESE POSITION — UNPROFITABLE RBSUliTS. The complications which it was Okubo's task to unravel were not solely 4ue to the mere fact of China's assumption of authority over the whole of Formosa. The peculiar manner in which the claim had been asserted, and the disingenuous course pursued by the Chinese officials in their various endeavore to establish it, had long before this introduced a number of awkward features into the transaction which made the labor of adjustment doubly arduous. It has been related how the assistant Commissioner Pan Wi left the Japanese Minister Yanagiwara with assurances that he would report to his superior, Shen, the expediency of avoiding needless discus- sions with General Saigo and of bringing the issue directly before the diplomatic agents of the two governments ; and how these promises were neglected. This was not the last, nor the worst, of his departures from a straightforward line of action. Early in June, he caused to be sent to China a statement that he had himself arranged affairs with the savages, and obtained from Saigo a declaration that he was ready to return to Jajian, ^vith his troops, ''at the first command of his government.*' Tliis was com- municated to Yanagiwara by the Taotai at Shanghai on the 8th of July,^ with an air of conviction that the whole business was thereby settled ; but the Minister had received an accurate version of the proceedings from Saigo, and was not misled by the misrepresentations ; as, indeed, he was not likely to have been under any circumstances. He showed the Taotai 1874. OKUBO JN PEKING. 193 the impossibility of placing reliance upon any of his assurances, and as it was now obvious that no good purpose could be served by a further delay in Shanghai^ started at once for Peking, to negociate thenceforwaird with the Tsung li Yamen. He reached Tien Tsin on the 24th /of July, where he met and exchanged a few passages of controversy with Li Hung Chang, the Viceroy of the Chili provinces and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and then proceeded to the capital, where he arrived on the 31st. His early communications w^ith the Tsung li Yamen were embarrassed by the interposition of several desjyatches from the late visitors to Formosa, Shen and. Pan, who continued to declare that a distinct settlement had been eflfected in the island, subject only to a recognition of agreement to the terms by themselves and Yanagiwara. Although this was known to be an incorrect representation of the affair, it was spoken of by the Chinese as a matter of fact, and used as the basis of several of their most elaborate arguments. But their chief topic, upon which they were never weary of dilating, was their right to the whole of Formosa and the impropriety of another nation's venturing to take up a position upon any part of its soil. This was the unchanging burdenof every letter and every harangue. It was soon apparent that progress in the discussions was not only impos- sible but was really not desired by the Chinese authorities, their object apparently being to weary out the patience of the Minister by repeated delays. But their opportunity of persisting in this policy was brought to a close by the arrival of Okubo, in' whose hands the general direction of the business was immediately placed. Holding fiill powers, he was not under the necessity of making frequent reference to the home government for counsel and direction, and the negociations were enabled to proceed with fewer obstructions than berore,tilthough the Chinese officials still found methods of unduly retarding them. The opening interview between the new Japanese Commissioner and the Tsung li Yamen took place on the 14th of September. The first 13 194 NEW SEBIES OF CONFERENCES. Sept. 19, statement presented by Olcubo was to the effect that he had examined the records of the several conferences and of the con-espondence that had tliiis far passed, and discovered that they amounted only to the argument on the part of the Chinese that aboriginal Formosa belonged to their govern- ment, and on the part of Yanagiwara that the territory in question was independent. He then proceeded ^to set forward his own views upon the subject, briefly and pertinently, and concluded by submitting two proposi- tions, the first of which was that, although claiming jurisdiction over the savages, China had never taken steps to govern or reform them ; the second, that if the alleged power of control existed and failed to be ex- ercised, it was not possible for Cliina to escape the accusation of virtually encouraging the natives in their barbarous acts toward shipwrecked people. On the 16th, a second conference was held, in which answers were given upon these points ; and it may surprise even those who are familiar with the extent to which Chinese audacity can be can-ied, to learn that it was boldly asserted that China had "improved the manners ** of the aborigines, "organized their communities," " educated those who had good and intel- "ligent dispositions," and " actually established government over them." It was, however, admitted that the "policy was to civiliae them, not by " hasty and precipitate measures, but gradually and steadily." With regard to the question of maltreatment of castaways, it was stated that, if shi{)s, belonging to any foreign nation should be wrecked and the sailors injured, and if the Ministers of those nations should demand satisfaction, '• minutely " setting forth the circumstancas attending each event, ' ' China " would exam- "ine into such affiiirs and would never neglect them." " Consequently," it was added, " if your government had written minutely about the present " matter, our Yamen woidd have taken the proper measures to examine " into and settle it. Then our Yamen would have established proper laws " over the savages, and would have instructed them to protect foreigners in " futiu-e." ^ And these declarations wei-e presented by the officials with grave 1874. INTERNATIONAL LAW REPUDIATED. 195 » _____ , , faces, and vrith that calm assumption of unconsciousness of having uttered a monstrosity, which Chinese councillors alone can command. After a few questions from Okubo, relating to the positive evidence upon which the Tamen relied for their assertions of authority over savage Formosa, this meeting was dissolved. The discussion was renewed on the 19th, when Okubo plainly ex- pressed his dissatisfaction with the above replies, and submitted a document containing questions upon other subjects which required explanation. The officers of the Yamen somewhat petulantly complained that if their recent exposition of views was not all that was needed, they could see no prospect of a termination to the debate. Their attention liaving been previously called to certain recognized pointy of International Law, they stated that such codes had only been recently compiled by Europeans, and that, " there " being no mention of China in them, they intended to negociate without "adopting any of the opinions therein contained.*' The speculations which followed were of too rambling and often incoherent a character to make it worth while to reproduce them in detail. Some of the statements were not, however, without significance. Among them was the following : " As "to the evidence concerning aboriginal Formosa, we fear there may be " some obscure points in it ; but henceforward, we will extend our laws " and administration over the territory of the savages, restrain their wicked " and violent actions, and take such measures as will preserve forever the " friendly relations between the two countries. If, on the contrary, you " ^vill not consent to enti:ust*our government with the management of the "present aflkir, we will then have nothing more to say." The Japanese Commissioner replied that, respecting the evidence spoken of, none whatever had been produced, and that until some substantial proof of the Chinese position had been offered, he should continue to dispute it. Extending his arguments to the question of the interests of all countries, he said : " Now that communication is established between the Eastern and Western 196 MENACING EXPliESSIONS. Oc?r. 5, ■ ■ ■ - " worlds, safety and protection must be accorded to the navigators of all " nations. Formosa is a very important island in the direct highway of "commerce, but its people are like pirates in their practices." From this jwint, the exchange of documents and spoken opinions continued, at intervals, through the month of September. They could hardly be called discussions in any large sense, for the Chiuese confined themselves almost exclusively to voluminous reassertions of the statement to which they had now bound themselves, in various new forms of phraseology, but never accompanied by the evidence that was asked for or by any attempts at refutation of evidence brought forward on the other side. Upon one occasion, in consequence of the ignorance of International Law that had already been professed by the Yamen, Okubo presented the members a condensed translation of the code, for their future reference. During this ' period, thpre is reason to believe that all the sagacity and composm-e that the Japanese could command were necessary to give assurance of their determination at once to strive for an amicable result and yet to abate nothing of their just demands. On the 5th of October, the tone adopted by the Chinese officials became almost menacing, apparently in consequence of the rejection of a projwsal for arbitration which they had pre- sented. They even went so far as to intimate that the Commissioner would do well to return home at once, while he could do so with safety. Okubo said : " As to your question whether we will consent to the interference of " some person commissioned by a foreign power, in the affairs concerning " our dominions, we reply that we shall never permit this to be done, as it " is a very grave matter affecting our national sovereignty. If you hold " that further discussions are impossible, and will not answer my questions, *' our conferences shall end today, and the object of my mission (the desire " of maintaining the friendly relations between the two governments) shall "be arrested here." This, day had been fixed for the final disposition of the whole subject. V 1874. GONCILIATOH Y AD VANCES. 197 but the unexpected temper displayed by the' Chinese rendered it inpossible* to bring matters to a conclusion. The meeting terminated with an an- nouncement on the part of Okubo that he pur[x«ed starting, at the earliest opportunity for Japan, in order to report all the circumstances to his government. He was afterward induced to reconsider this determination, and the officers of the Yamen endeavored, witll some show of courtesy, to mitigate the unfavorable effect of the demonstration they had made. They suggested that the unpleasant observations that had passed sliould not be included in the record of transactions. This advance wjis responded to equal courtesy, but the proposition to amend the record was declined, the Japanese Commissioner insisting that in this series of negociations, no op- portunity should be afforded for accusations of concealment or misrepresen- tation in the slightest particular. It was subsequently decided, at the request of the Chinese, that any unpleasant consequence likely to be produced might be rectified by correspondence, but not by alteration of the reports. 20O PERPETUAL EVASIONS. Oct. 19, returned on the 14th, and on the 15 th, at noon, an answer was forwarded which, though not in all respects sufficient, showed a decided inclination to bring the matter to a satisfactory end. Another meeting was arranged for the 18th, at Okubo's apartments, in which the Chinese, while still expressing a desire to avoid discussing the question of their right to South- em Formosa, said they were willing to acknowledge that they had been negligent and "to offer a sum of money as a compensation for the slaughter of the Biu Eiuans. This appearing to be a step in advance, the Japanese Commissioner declared his willingness to reoi^en the negociations ; but on the 19th a note came from the Yamen, stating that a difficulty had arisen, and they could not undertake to carry through the settlement in the way they had themselves suggested, although they now took pains to recognize the expedition as a rightful one. Their exact words were ; " You "came originally by right.'* The special point of objection raised was that, while they were willing to pay an indemnity for losses sustained by Japan, they could not consent to subscribe to a written obligation to that effect, nor to deliver the amount that might be decided upon until after the troops had been withdrawn from Formosa. They were even opposed to any discussion as to the precise sum, virtually insisting that this should be left to the discretion of the Chinese government. The rejoinder to these propositions was open and emphatic. It was thus expressed : — " If you desire to obtain possession of the territory now occupied by '* our troops, you must of course be bound by an obligation toward us. Our " government requires some satisfaction. What satisfaction do you mean " to give ? I cannot order the evacuation of Formosa by our troops in " return for the measures proposed by you. Of course I db not covet the ** indenmity, but if I should not be able to clearly explain the steps to be " taken by you, and the amount of the indemnity, with what honor could " I report the result of my mission to my Emperor and meet my country- " men after my return to Japan ? If you persist, there will be diaiger of a 1874. A STURDY LETTER. 201 "rupture of the conciliatory measures proposed by me. I might, for " myself, consent to your proposals, but i^hat would my government and " my countrymen say ? Your proposition that your Emperor will give us «' satisfaction after the departure of our troops is quite contrary to the " conciliating spirit with which you profess to desire to bring these discus- "sions to a mutually satisfactory conclusion. Our government will not " place confidence in any diplomatic matter unless there be some written " evidence of it. How could I order the evacuation without any evidence '* concerning your promise? If I should rely upon your words at the "present moment, and afterward there should be found in them some "points unsatisfactory to our government, we must agaiu charge you " with a wrong, and some great difficulty might arise. I therefore want "some trustworthy written proofs.** This request for a documentary pledge, which, it will readily be understood, was the necessary consequence of previous attempts on the part of the Chinese to repudiate their declarations, was peremptorily refused. It was renewed on the 24th, and again rejected. On the 25th, Okubo sent what was intended to be a final letter, which contained the following ex- pression of opinions : — ^ " Now I am quite hopeless and am about to leave. The notice given ^ " to you of our intention to punish the aboriginal tribes was set at naught " by your Tsung li Yamen, and when we sent a Commissioner with troops " to take vengeance upon the tribes that had murdered our shipwrecked " people, and to remove the evils which threatened the navigators of those " seajs, you afforded us no encouragement in our difficult and dangerous "task, but affected to be very proud of your mercy in not * shooting " * an arrow at us.' Under these circumstances, our philanthropic action, to «' our lasting regret, has been designated by you by the bad name of a " hostile deed, while our undertaking of punishing the savages arose only " from the necessity of protecting our own people. Henceforth, mside and 202 ritEPARATIOm FOR DEPARTURE. Oct. 27, ^' back of the mountains, we shall continue to clear land, protecting those " tribes which submit to us, and punishing those who oppose us, and shall " complete our plan of action without permitting any molestation on the " part of your country. Finally, I have to say that as the present case " cannot be decided by. arguments, each country must go its own way and " exercise its own rights of sovereignty. I do not wish to hear the further " explanations and arguments you may have to oflfer. I am in haste to ** depart, and cannot go to your Tsung li Yamen to take leave of you.'* Of all the public men of Japan, Okubo is probably the most con- spicuous for qualities of lorbearance and toleration. That he should have been forced to so decisive an utterance as the above is a convincing proof, at least to all who are acquainted with his character, that lenience and gentleness had been carried to their extremest limit, and that every honor- able means of conciliation, on his part, had been exhausted. His selection for the duty he had thus far carried through had, indeed, been inspired by a thorough conviction that if he should fiiil in accomplishing a |)eaceful result, the nation would unit-e in recognizing that the obstacles must have been such that no exercise of just moderation could have overcome them. Preparations were made for leaving Peking without delay. It does not appear that the Japanese Oommifisioner himself was under any apprehension that actuail war would be the necessary result of the rupture of uegocia- tions. He had become sufficiently familiar with the devious artifices of Chinese diplomacy to understand that the attitude of Prince Kung and his associates, menacing as it now seemed, did not inequitably foreshadow an outbreak of hostilities. But he could hardly have foreseen the result which did ensue, or, foreseeing it, could not liave calculated upon its arrival with such precipitate haste. On the afternoon of the 25th, General Le Gendre and a part of the suite set out upon their journey to Tien Tsin. Hearing of this, and of the fact that the mthdrawal of the entire mission was im^ minent, Prince Kung went in haste to the residence of Mr. Wade, the 1874. MB. WADE'S AOENGY. 203 » ^ .__ _. . British Minister, and requested him to take a message to Okubo, which might have the effect of detaining the party. He offered, in distinct words, the first really acceptable terms of settlement that had come from the Chinese side, and offered them in a way that, this time, left little duubt as to the sincerity of his intentions. Mr. Wade promptly consented, and visited the Japanese Commissioner without delay. He stated that he Avas empowered to declare that there would now be no objection raised against Okubo's resolution to obtain written evidence of consent to the terms pro- posed ; that one hundred thousand taels should be paid immedLitely " as ''relief to the sufferers" (meaning the families of those who had been slaughtered in 1871, and the survivors) and four ^hundred thousand taels '*as indemnity for the various expenses of the expedition," afte** the with- drawal of the troops. He added that the officers of the Yamen had requested liim to give this information privately. Being convinced that the purpose was, this time, to make a serious ef- fort at adjustment, Okubo consented to defer his departure. He went on the same day to Mr. Wade's residence, and stated to him that, the amount of money to be paid being a secondary object, five hundred thousand taelg would be received, subject to the following conditions : — The Formosa expedition must be publicly recognized as just and rightful, and the money must be paid befoi^e the withdrawal of the soldiers. Mr. Wade, again acting as a willing messenger, undertook to communicate this decision to the Chinese authorities. What sway he may have exerted over them, if any, has not been divulged. Upon the Japanese official he never exercised or attempted to exercise the slightest influence. On the 27th, a draft of articles of agreement, prepared by the Yamen, was sent for inspection ; and here Mr. Wade's relationship- in the affair was really valuable to the Chinese, inasmuch as he was authorized to write a guarantee that they would not alter the terms of the documents. Without this pledge, after all that had passed, there would still have beea some 204 TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT. Oct. 31, hesitation in accepting their assurances. Thus fortified, it^was, on the SOth, pronounced sufficient by Okubo, and, on the Slst of October, was duly signed and sealed at the office of the Tsung li Yamen. The following is a translation, as strictly literal as is compatible with presentation in the usual English form, of the several iiapers that were then subscribed to. AGREEMENT. [Preamble.] Whereas, Okubo, High Commissioner Plenipotentiary of Japan, Sangi, Councillor of State and Secretary of the Interior Depart- ment [ou the one part], and [names of Prince Kung and nine other Chinese officials] of the Tsung li Yamen of China [on the other part], having discussed the subject of Articles of Agreement and fixed the manner of their settlement ; and it having been understood that the subjects of every nation must be duly protected from injury ; that therefore every nation may take efficient measures for the security of its subjects ; that if anything [injiuious] happen mthin the limits of any state, that state should undertake the duty of rejiaration ; that the aborigines of Formosa formerly committed outrages upon subjects of Japan; that Japan sent troops for the sole purpose of inflicting punishment on these aborigines, and that the troops are to be withdrawn, China assuming the responsibility of measures for the future ; therefore, the following Articles have been drawn up and agreed upon : ARTICLE I. The present enteri)rifie of Japan is a just and rightful proceeding, to protect her own subjects, and China does not designate it as a wrong action. ARTICLE IL A sum of money shall be given by China for relief to the families of the shipwrecked [Japanese] subjects that were maltreated. Jajian has 1874. SECOND CONTRACT. 205 constructed roads and built houses, etc., in that place. China, wishing to have the use of these for herself, agrees to make payment for tliem. The amount is determined by a special document. ARTICLE m. All the official correspondence hitherto exchanged between the two states shall be returned mutually, and be annulled, to prevent any future misunderstanding. As to the savages, China engages to establish authority, and promises that navigators shall be protected from injury by them. The " special document *' referred to in Article II. was made a separate subject of consideration chiefly because grave doubts existed as to the Chinese fulfilment of an agi'eement which would involve the complete surrender of their strongest points of objection. It was thought desirable by the Japanese Commissioner that the name of Mr. Wade, who had already (Oct. 27th) given a personal pledge that the terms of settlement should not be altered, should appear in •testimony of his knowledge of China's submission in respect to the questions which had been disputed with so much persistency. It was consequently introduced in the subjoined CONTRACT. With regard to the question of Formosa, Mr. Wade, H. B. M.'s Minister, having spoken on the subject to the two parties, they, the siid Commissioners of the two nations, have arranged for settlement thus : — I. — China agrees that she shall pay the sum of one himdred thousand taels, for relief to the families of the subjects of Japan who were murdered. II. — China wishes that, after Japan shall have withdrawn her troops, all the roads that liave been repaired and all the houses that have been built, etc., shall be retained for her use ; at the same time consenting to pay the sum of four hundred thousand taels by way of recompense ; and it 206 CONSOLATION MONEY. Oct. 31, is agreed that Japan shall withdraw all her troops, and China shall pay the wholft amount without fail, by the 20th day of Dec5embor, the seventh year of Meiji, with Japan, or on the 22nd day of the eleventh moon, the thirteenth year of Tung Chi, with China ; but, in the event of Japan not withdrawing her troops, China shall not pay the amount. This settlement having been concluded, each party has taken one copy of the contract as voucher. With regard to certain peculiarities of phraseology in these docu- ments, it is desirable to explain that the acceptance of the sums of money ostensibly as "relief" or ^^consolation," and as payment for improvements that were to be diverted to the use of China, was in consequence of repeated and urgent representations that the dignity of that nation would thereby be saved from a rude shock. Okubo had, naturally, at first spoken only of " indemnity;" but the Chinese were almost piteous in .their appeals to be spared the humiliation that they fancied would be implied by the use of that word. There was no time, during the discussions, when Okubo showed himself imreasonably obdurate, and he was frequently ready to waive points of mere nominal formality, so long as the vital requirements of his duty should not be assailed. On the 21st of October he had written, in regard to the expenditures, as follows : — " Your country must be responsible, '* but, to save appearances, you wish that * consolation tnoney * be paid to our " ill-treated countrymen by the special grace of your Emperor." And, on the 23d ; " Your proposal that the compensation 'should take the name of " 'consolation ' was at first unsatisfactory ; but, considering the circumstances "of your country, it has now beto consented to." The Yamen un- fortunately for themselves, were not altogether content to let the matter stand thus, and subsequently conceived the idea of suggesting that the larger sfiare of the payment should be understood as having reference to the 1874. AN OVERSIGHT. 207 A roads and other works commenced or completed by the Japanese in Formosa. This also, was acceded to. But China, after the final departure of Greneral Saigo, suddenly forgetful of her anxiety "to save appearances,'* ordered the immediate destruction of every vestige of Japanese occupation ; so that the laborious structure of deceptive artifice fell to pieces by their own action. If they did not Avant the houses and other improvements, then the money covdd be regarded as nothing but a direct indemnity — small in amount, but sufficient to establish the principle ; and that they did not want them, they proved by obliterating all traces of their existence as soon as they could lay hands on* them. CHAPTER XXXV. THE EFFECT IK JAPAK— TEMPER OF THE PEOPLE — SACRIFICES — JAPANESE PUBLIC SERVANTS — VIEWS OF FOREIGNERS — ^ABSENCE OF SYMPATHY — ^MR. WADE*S ALLEGED INTERCESSION — G06d RESULTS FOR JAPAN. The news of the successful termination of the Peking conferences was welcomed in Japan with the liveliest satisfaction. The prospect of actual war was never attractive, except to a certain small and irresponsible class, which had neither opportunity nor inclination to estimate the possible con- sequences of so grave an event. Among the higher officers of the government, as well as the sober-minded people at large, there was always an earnest desire to avoid a positive conflict, but, at the same time, a rigid determina- tion to maintain, in the firmest manner, the position assumed at the outset of the Formosa difficulties, and to vindicate the just claims of the nation, at whatever hazard of peril or sacrifice. Thus, while the negociations of the Commissioner in China were all directed toward a pacific solution of the questions in controversy, the energies of the authorities at home were applied to preparing the most thorough means of meeting the issue, in case hostilities could not be honorably averted. The inhabitants, of every degree, including the Mikado and his family, the nobles, and the mass of the i)eople, offered voluntary contributions to the extent of their ability, for the support of the administration in the contemplated crisis. Large bodies of citizens enrolled themselves, without solicitation or suggestion, as volunteer trooj^s, and urgently petitioned for the acceptance of their services in the field. A great part of the labor of the Department charged with this whole subject consisted in receiving and duly considering the offers of 1874. EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SEli VICE. 209 material aid which i)oure(l in Iroiu all i)art8 of the country. These were, with due acknowledgment, ii:\ all cases declined, but with the assurance that if the government should at a later jieriod find itself in any degree embarrassed, such assistance would then be frankly asked for. The official reconls abundantly ]>rove that the si^ntjineous enthusiasm awakened by the mere uncertain prosi)ect of serving the nation in a time of public danger has hardly a |)arallel, unless it be in the more striking and momentous, but not more unselfish and sincere uprising of the multitudes in the United States of America at the outbreak of the Southern rebellion. I think tha* there were times when it was somewhat difficult for the officials who were most directly accessible to the evidences of ]X)pular feeling, in this crisis, to restrain themselves within the calm routing of their duty and preserve the outward as|)ect of indifference that was indispensable. The country was, however, admirably served in every branch of the labors that were connected with the Formosa episode. When vigorous resolution had been needed, as at Nagasaki, in the month of April, it was not found wanting. The man- liest qualities were displayed in the leadership of the soldiers on the island. Prudence and firmness could not have been more effectively united than in the person of the Commissioner to Peking. And in the administration of the bureau of organization for operations of the most extensive description, in Tokio, the singularly apt abilities of a young officer, less exalted in station, but of well earned distinction in his industrious sphere, Hirai Yukl- masa, were applied with a zeal and a discretion that sensibly contributed to the successful progress of events. The spirit that was universally displayed often led to a belief, on the jiart of otitside observers, that the, authorities and the populace were alike resolved \\\ion a contest, and were ready to provoke it, if necessary, by the adoption of the extremest measures. Such, however, was never the ase. The large accumulations of war material, the collection of formidable armaments at the points nearest to the Chinese coast, and the military 14 210 FOREIGN FEELING. Oct. 31, registratidn of theinhabitants of the empire were movementB of precaution, essential to the safety of the state. They not only placed Japan in the * position which it vras necessary she should hold in the event of war, but they contributed in no small degree to the actual preservation of peace. The bold and confident attitude which she maintabed from the beginning, which was the growth of a sincere conviction of the propriety of her course, could not be without weight in influencing the decision of the Chinese councillors. In all respects the action of Japan and her representatives was united and concentrated upon one ix>int — ^the vindication of the riglt of the government, to protect its subjects, to enforce redress for past outrages and to secufe protection for the future. The manner in which this end should be attained was not always certain. There were moments when the apprehen- sions of those who chose to adopt a gloomy view of aflairs seemed in some degree justified. But that it must be attained, by peaceful methods if pos- sible, by arms if needful, was the unalterable resolution. Throughout the entire progress of affiiirs there were many who looked to no other conclusion than that which had now happily an-ived, and thesQ, perhaps, found the most genuine satisfaction of all, in the result. But among the whole people there was hardly a voice of discontent, cither with the final arrangement or the means by which it was secured. The foreign community, as may be supposed, did not take so un- divided a view of the situation. Few expressions of hearty and unfeigned congratulation were heard. On the contrary, the recognition of Jaj)an*s success was, with one or two conspicuous exceprions, reluctant and con- strained. WTiy it Is that the progressive career of this country is regarded with steady aversion by a large proportion of the foreign residents is a question that might be answered without much difficulty, but whicli need not be here examined. The fivct is indisputable. As a rule, the intelligence of the diplomatic victory was not cordially welcomed. The general inter- ests of trade were l)ound up in the maintenance of peace, and on that 1874. JAPAN STANDS ALONE. 211 ground the adjustment of the troubles wiis admitted to be a public ad- vantage ; but that the credit of having accomplished a great and beneficial >York — ^not only unaided, but in spite of many jiainful obstacles thrust in her way — should be gained by Japan, was contmry to the expectations and to the wishes of the majority of European denizens. It was in consequence of this feeling that a disposition was exhibited to wrest the distioction of the achievement from the Japincse Commissioner, to whom and to no other it strictly belonged, and fasten it upon this or that repre'hentative of West- em governments — some of whom had certainly been sufficiently active in their interference, but not with the view of advancing the interests of Japan, nor, in a broad sense, the interests of civilization and humanity. It is quite enough to acknowledge them to have been animated by a sense of duty to their respective nationalities and to themselves. That they acted with any sort of regard for the embarrassments or anxieties of either Eastern country it is a simple absurdity to allege. A special effort was made to attribute the good fortune of the Japanese entirely to the inter- cession of the British Minister at Peking. The foregoing narrative of the history of the embassy, and the few citations from the official records, have probably been sufficient to show the fallacy of this assumption. If it should ever be found expedient to remove the seal of secresy from the entire mass of documentary evidence, the error will be still more conclu- sively demonstrated. It is as certain as any fact connected with the whole business can possibly be that not a single Minister, either in Japan or in China, acted a friendly or encouraging i>art toward the former at any period of these difficult transactions. In one respect the success obtained by Okubo produced a more marked effect than the dashing little exploits of the troops under Saigo. Nobody, not even the most wilful of the skeptics, doubted the personal bravery of the Japanese, but many were disinclined to believe that the statecraft of the younger nation could prove itself a match for the wiles and cunning of CHAPTER XXXVI. OKUBO'S RBTITRN— AFFAIRS I5T Ij^ORMOSA — DEVASTATIONS OF FEVER — MR. BINGIIAM's last word — SAIGO'S rROOLAMATIONS TO THE SAVAGES — GRIEF OF THE ABORIGINES — THE EVACUATION — OKUMA's ADDRESS TO THE MIKADO ^FOREIGN ENVOYS. AGAIN DISTURBED — BEHAVIOR OF CHINA — THE QUES- TION OF TRIBUTES— DESTRUCTION OF JAPANESE WORKS IN FORMOSA — CHINESE TROOPS ATTACKED AND SLAUGHTERED. All having now been concluded, as strictly in accordance with the pur- i)08e8 of the Japanese government as could be desired, the Commissioner left Peking on the Ist of November and on the 7th reached Shanghai, whence the chief details of the settlement were communicated by telegraph to Tokio. On the 9th, the intelligence was transmitted to the various public departments, but, for the sake of precaution, orders were given that the preparations of the Army and Navy should not be discontinued until after events should prove the intention of China to adhere to the agree- ment. Okubo did not immediately return home, but visited Formosa, to aaiuaint General Saigo with the result, and to give such information as would authorize gradual arrangements for an evacuation. A special ' messenger of rank was sent from Japan on the 13tli, to formally recall the troops. On the 17th, the conventions were officially published throughout the empire. A few days later, Okubo returned to Tokio, where he was received with numerous manifestations of popular favor and with high and unusual tokens of Imperial satisfaction. In Fonnosa, after the visit of the Chinese delegates, in June, no in- cidents of jxctive imi)ortance occurred to break the wearying monotony. All 1874. FAREWELL PROCLAMATIONS., 215 ^ the hostile southern tribes had given acknowledgments of submission before the end of July, and the only duty imposed on the Commanding (General was that of waiting patiently for the announcements from Peking. The interval WDuld have passed without serious discomforts, but for the sudden outbreak of fever, in July, which rapidly prostrated a large proportion of the^ soldiers, and from which hardly an individual connected with the expedition escaped. General Saigo and one subordinate officer alone were entirely untouched by the disease. Of the thousands assembled there, no others were without attacks of more or less violent character. Some hundreds of the troops died, — so many that it was necessary to fill the vacancies by successive reinforcements from Jajian. The American attaches suflFered with the rest. Mr. Cassel's illness was so severe that grave doubts were entertained as to his recovery. Mr. Wasson left the island before the malady had reached its worst form, and was among the first to recover. His sojourn in Nagasaki afforded Mr. Bingham the opportunity of making his last appearance in the Formosan drama. Having heard a report that Mr. Wasson was about to rejoin the expedition, the United States' Minister again introduced a series of objections and remonstrances, to which little heed was given. By this time his interference had ceased to be impressive and had become fatiguing. Before the 1st of December, the required compensation was paid by China, and on the 3d of that month, more than two weeks before the stipulated time, General Saigo took leave of Formosa with his whole force. Before dei)arting he issued two proclamations. The first was addressed to the friendly aborigines, and was in the following words ; — " Our intention in coming here lias already been announced to you ; " and you have well understood our motives and ofiered the best assistance " that lay in your power. All the wild savages trembled and bowed before " our arms. After this, we continued to 9ccupy the land because of the " opposition which was made to our acts by the Chhiese government ; but 216 GRIEF OF THE ABORIGINES, Dec. 27, " now, the negociatioiis between the two nations being brought to a con- " elusion, we have ceded all the land to China, according to its wish. We " well know and deeply acknowledge the good and affectionate filial feeling "you have shown toward us; and we heartily recommend yon*to hence- " forth attach yourself to the Chinese officials as yon have loved us, and to " nobly obey their laws without making any opposition." The second was to the tril)e8 that had united in hostility against the Japanese : — " A few years ago, the Botans committed an unpardonable crime in " murdering some of our Riu Kin subjects, and I, Yorimiti, respectfully " obeying an Imperial order, came and chastised you. But as you repented "of your evil deeds and asked our mercy, I forgave you, thinking yen " would wish for a peaceful and long life under our Imperial and benign " government. But now, arrangements with China having been concluded, " our empire has complied witli the wishes of that nation, and we shall "presently leave the place. Henceforth you must nobly obey, without "making any opposition.'* The embarkation of the soldiers jvas witnessed by great .numbers of the inhabitants of the Liangkiao valley and also by an unusual gathering of the Eastern aborigines, who had never before come in such bodies and with such unconstrained freedom from their homes in the interior. The closing movements were watched by the Chinese-sjieaking natives with their accustomed composure and ajiptirent indifference. With the savages, however, it was not so. Their reserve was entirely broken down under what they considered the misfortune of losing their new friends. They were about to be separated from strangers who had opened a new view of humanity to them ; who liad consistently treated them as reasoning creatures and who had, by confidence and kindness, succeded in kindling in their simjile natures emotions which seemed to l)e little short of venera- tion. The bitterness of their outbui-sts against the Chinese, who had been 1874. SJIGO'S RETURN. 217 instrumental in bringing ^bout this new calamity, as they regarded it, was equalled only by tlie vehemence of their grief at the moment of leave- taking. They cried piteously^ without regard to the eflfect that the display of their weakness might produce upon their cynical neighbors»of the Western coast, and, when the Greneral and his staff finally moved to the boats, they clung to them, seizing their hands and their clothing, and begging that th«y might not be deserted, until thoy had to be detached by gentle force. Saigo, who is a man of keen sensibilities, was deeply touched by these expressions of devotion, which, in their rude way, were perhaps as worthy tributes to his character and achievements as any of the more tangible honors he received from loftier sources in his own land. On the 7th of December, the Commander-in-chief landed at Naga- saki, having been absent a little more than six monthp. On the 27th, he arrived in Tokio where the distinctions to which he had gained an un- disputed claim were cordially bestowed uj)on him. Little more remained to be done. It was necessary only to gather together the results and bring the labors of all persons concerned to an appropriate end. Toward the middle of tne following January. Okuma Sigenobu, from whom the vital impulses of the whole series of events had chiefly sprung, sent an address to the Mikado, preparatory to closing the Department which had been created to meet the requirements of the For- mosa question, and the necessity for which would soon cease to exist. It was to the following effect : — '' In the first month of the past yeaY, Sigenobu and others, in accor- " dance with the confidential instructions they had received, laid before " Your Majesty a project for the chastisement of the savages. In April " the Formosa Department was established, and Sigenobu was appointed " its Chief, to superintend all business belonging to it. In May the Com- '*m:inder-in-chief Siigo Yorimiti departed to the land of the savages at t' the he;i(l of a force, exterminated the wicked, paidoned the submissive. /^ 218 OKUMAS VALEDICTfiUY. Jan. 4, "and remained there a long time encamped. During the same month the " Miuiater Plenipotentiary Yanagiwara Sakimitsu was despatched to China, " and in August the High Commissioner Plenipotentiary Okubo Tosimiti " also was sent to that country. Tosimiti and the others worked diligently " and devotedly in the discharge of the important trust committed to them. " In October a convention was exchanged with the sai^ country, and in " November Tosimiti and the rest reported the fulfilment of their mission. " In December Yorimiti returned in triumph. From the institution of the " Commission up to this date a period of eight riTonths had elapsed. Here- '• upon the wrongs of the sufferers were for the first time redressed, the " I)08ition of a subject ' han * for the first time cleared uj), security restored " to the mariners of all countries for the first time, and the dignity and "influence of the State consequently vindicated.*' " After our troops had started and were on their way, foreign public " servants remonstrated. The Chinese Government hastily desimtched an " Envoy, sent letters and manifested a wide difference of opinion. Some " persons not comprehending the views of the Government, began to doubt " whether it was justified in the course which [it was taking. Others dis- " cussed the want of fimds, and rumor became so noisy that the State >va8 " again imperilled. " Sigenobu and the others nevertheless accepted the responsibility, but " day and night they were so busily emi)loyed tliat they feared le4st their " strength might be unequal to the task. Fortunately, the wise resolution "of His Majesty never wavered, and the councils of the Government " became still more resolute. Groat military preparations were made, and " the mind of the people, both in the to\vns and in Ifhe country, learnt to " recognize the Imperial purpose. Some desired to cast away their lives " and to die for the national cause, others offered to contribute towards the *' army expenditure. The civil and military officers united all their efforts, ^ and the great work of chastising the savages became an accomplished 1875. FOREIGN MINISTERS AGAIN DISTURBED. 219 " fact. We have nothing to be ashamed of before foreign nations con- " ceming this measure, and its glory will not pale before the {leeds done in "ancient times." " If, while public rumor was clamorous, we had hesitated or drawn " back, the injuries done to the suflFerers would not have been redressed, " the position of a dependent * han * would not have been cleared up, the "mariners of the world would never have known security, and a land "of marauders would have been established for ever. Had such been " the result, we should' not only have been disgraced in the eyes of the " world, but it would have been a sign that the dignity and iriflueace of " the State were about to fall prostrate. Consequently im[X)rtant interests "were involved in the chastisement of the savages." " I humbly pray that His Majesty will eagerly cany on the work and " carefully ponder ; that by reflecting on the past he may be enabled to " think out the policy of the future so as to exalt his wise work to the " highest pinnacle and glory, and that he will not stop with the chastisa- "ment of the savages." It may be a matter for some regret, but can Jiardly occasion surprise, to find that even now, after all was over, the foreign representatives could not resist the temptation to be disagreeable. The allusion, in the above document, to outside interference was perfectly well understood, and was • introduced only in evidence X)f one of the numerous imjiediments that had been placed in the way of government action. Eveiybody knew the foreign Ministers had remonstrated, and that one of them had done more than re- monstrate. But it was open to them to force an opportunity for querulous comment, and they did so. They required an explanation. If it were permissible to reveal the alleged grounds upon which some of them privately based their demand, they would be found simply shameful and unmanly. A few days later, the following communication from Okuma to the Prime Minister, Sanjo, was issued : — 220 CHINESE CONCEALMENTS. Jan. 25, ^* My address to the Mikado contains the following passage : ^ after " * our troops had started and were on their way, foreign public servants " 'remonstrated.* Your excellency having asked for an explanation of this " passage, on the demand of the foreign representatives, it becomes neces- " sary to say that the foreign representatives did not remonstrate against " the despatch of Japanese troops to Formosa, but some of them, stating " that their Treaty relations with China obliged them to take this course, " protested against the employment by Japan, in the Formosa expedition, " of their ships and subjects or citizens until it was known whether such " employment would or would not be regarded as hostile by China." The contrast between the course of Japan, and that adopted by China, in these later stages of the affair, was very marked. During the whole course of the negociations in Peking, the authorities of that capital had used strenuous efforts to prevent the subjects of discussion from becoming known. The f^eking Gazette, which is the official organ of the govern- ment, never, at any time, alluded to the circumstance that Japan had sent an exT)edition to Formosa, or that China had been arraigned on a question of national right, until after all hfiui terminated and the troops had left the island. It has been, in fact,*plainly asserted that the Emperor of China himself was kept in complete ignorance of the entire transaction, and that he died, early in 1875, without a suspicion of what was in progress at the Tsung li Yamen having ever reached him. It is certain that soon after the departure of Okubo and the evacuation by Saigo's troops, reports were industriously circulated that the Japanese had been ignominiously driven from their position, and compelled to i)ay a large tribute to the Chinese government. This appeared to be in pursuance of a policy of misrepre- sentation that had first manifested itself during the month of September, when the Tokio government, impelled solely by a motive of humanity, issued a proclamation guaranteeing safety and protection to all Chinese residents in Japan, even in the event of war. This action was declared by 1875. A NEW DEPARTURE. • 221 the Chinese officials to be a proof either of a timid anxiety to conciliate or of a desire not to interfere with the course of commerce between China and Ja{)an. Late in December, the officials at Fuchao were guilty of the impru- dence of affecting to reassert their supremacy, over the people of Riu Kiu, by c6mpelling the master and crew of a trading ship from Nafa to perform submissive ceremonies at the Sustom House of that port. Although it was believed in Japan that the Peking government would promptly dis- avow this act, and that no serious consequences would result therefrom, an immediate investigation was ordered, and the necessary demands for explanation were presented. The Riu Kiu inhabitants chiefly concerned were required to visit Tokio, where, in April, 1875, they were still under- going examination. The circumstanoe that the Chinese, on obtaining possession of the ground that had been held*by the Japanese troops, proceeded to celebrate their acquisition by destroying all traces of the recent occupancy, has already been mentioned. During the first months of 1875, they made efforts, which may be regarded as vigorous, under the circumstances, to throw an air of reality over their hitherto unsupported preteuce of control- ling the territory. They made flying, virits to points on the Western shore, pnidently avoiding any approach to the interior. Shen Pao Chen, upon whom a few wholesome convictions had been forced by late experience, submitted a memorial to the Throne, in which he recommended that Formosa should hereafter be governed with a breadth of authority and upon a comprehensive system commensurate with its position and requirements. He went so far as to urge that the seat of the Viceroy who resides in Fu Kien should be transferred to the island, this being now, in his estimation, the more important locality. In pursuance of the plan of at last assuming jurisdiction,^a small body of soldiers was sent down to Hong Kang, the village situated a little north of Liangkiao Bay, in which place they were 222 FIGHT BETWEEN CHINESE AND SAVAGES. Feb. 13. believed to be safe from savage intrusion. But, in the latter part of January, a couple of officers, while attempting to travel over the roads leading to the south, were waylaid and murdered in the usual manner. A retaliatory expedition was arranged^ and, on the 13th of February^ a force of two hundred men was sent to seize the village from which the depre- dators were supposed to have come. They reax^hed it without interruption and found it occupied only by old men, women and children, all of whom they ^nstantly put to death. Believing that their work was now over, after destroying the houses they turned back toward Hong Kang ; but before they had proceeded far, they were attacked from the surrounding hills and jungles with a fury that threw them into great confusion. The Chinese leader is said to have behaved with coolness and courage, but his followers were irrecoverably disordered. The savages employed all the destructive methods that they could command. They commenced with fire arms, spears and arrows ; then hurled rocks from theTieights, after the fashion of Tyrolean warfare, upon their enemies, and finally rushed in upon them with drawn swords, to finish the affair. Jt is known that more than ninety Chinese were slain, including the chief officer ; and the number of savages killed was estimated at thirty. Thus terminated the first eifort that has ever been made by Chinese authorities to extend their sway over the inhabitants of aboriginal Formosa. CHAPTEU XXXVII. DISSOLUTION 07 THK FORMOSA DEPAUTMENT — ^PO^SiniLITIKS 0? THE fc'UTURK — PROOFS OF JAPANESE CAPACITY — WESTERN INDIFFERENCE AND IGNORANCE — HABITUAL DEMEANOR OF FOREIGN RBPRESENPATIVES OUTSIDE EFFORTS TO RULE JAPAN — THE REAL OPPONEi^TS OJ" PROGRESS — JAPAN WAITS FOR JUSTICE. The events iraraediat(».ly connected with the Formosa expedition came to an end in April, 1875, with the dissoUition of the Department that had been created, a year before, for the exchisive management of the affair. Other events, dependent niK)n it, are obviously not beyond expectixtion ; but, if they occur, they will form a new division of the relations between Japan and China, and will require to be considered from a new point of departure. Of the transactions just past, there is reason to believe that a detailed and official history may in course of time be submitted by the Japanese Government, with complete records of the measures successively taken on all sides, and with documentary evidence to sustain the various positions assumed and suc:5essfully maintained by the rulers in Tokio. Meanwhile, the fragmentary memoranda of the j)receding pages have been gathered together chiefly for the purpose of inviting attention to two im- portiint facts, which are not without significance in their reference to the development of this Asiatic empire, in its new and energetic cai-eer. I have desired to show, in the fii-st place, the ability of Japan to grasp an imj>ortant public question, hivolving not only domestic duties but also foreign necessities of a grave nature ; to assert its just claims with dignity and independence, and to execute its honorable purpose with a steadiness, 226 BY WHO^ SHALL JAPAN BE RULED? April, w in vain to throw off. In the early days, Japan unwittingly surrendered a p&rt of her independence. It is the determination of the body of the foreign Ministers that she shall not regain it. The statement may seem incredible to readera at a distance, but it is nevertheless susceptible of clearest proof, that she ciinnot safely announce the simplest project of domestic policy, and still less of foreign iK)licy, for fear of interpellations, remonstrances, officious counsel, and possibly threats that are calculated to overturn all her plans. For this reason she is comi)elled to keep many important measures in com])lete obscurity, mitil the actual moment of their fulfilment. And then this very self-prot6ctuig secresy is made the basis of new reproaches and aggressions. The course of the ilinister of the United States, in reference to the Formosa mission, has now been thrown open. It is a fair example of what Japan has to contend with in all her undertakings, great and small. Indeed, it must not be sup])osed that]Mr. Bhigham was alone in his obstructive pnxjeedings in this affair. He was less cautious than some, in not obliterating the traces of his steps, but there is quite enough testimony to show the unfriendly eagerness of other Ministers, in case it should ever be retjuired. In plain words, it is, and long has been, the resolution of the stronger Envoys that Ja]>an shall be governed by the foreign diplomatic corps. It would l)e an aflfectation to conceal that in certain particidars, Japan has, in ])tist years, been controlled by outside influences. The unfortunate terms subscril)e(l to in tlie first Tn^aties have i)laced a power in the hands of the Ministers which they have wielded without scruple. Through their mouthpieces, they do not hesitate to aver that they will not permit this power to be \vithdrawn from them. They will fail in their efforts, but not before they have cost Japin many more pangs of wounded pride and new accummulation* of material loss. Me^in while they strive to reassert their supremacy, day by day, with wanton and audacious assumptions. Their sui)porters, among the foreign community, applaud and stimulate them. The tone which is adopted may be understood by a »*' 1874. THE TRUE ENEMIES TO PROGRESS, 227 single example of many theories tliat have lately, been promulgated; — which is a direct intimation that the actions and movements of the sovereign himself ai'e to be regarded as "informal** if they have not been previously announced to the foreign Ministers. A condition of things like this cannot, of course, long continue. But it is for the interest of international decency — not to put too fine a poi^t upon it — that it should terminate as hastily tis passible. Complaints of the retrogi'essive schemes of Japan, of her reluctance to give new tokens of liberal intentions and of her resistance to recent broad demands are beginning to be heard. These are all flagrantly unjust. Japan was never more willing to move forward than at the present moment ; but before taking additional steps she must be free. , What is now asked of her is tbat she shall yield everything, and receive back nothing of what belongs to hor and has been withheld for half a score of years. It is charged that she will not revise her Treaties. But the ft\ct that she has been told that revision means, in the minds of the Envoys, nothing but fresh concessions without a single ecprivalent, has not been so loudly pro:;laiui'jcl. The Western Ministers are the real ol>structiouists. Ik urging demands tliat cannot possibly be giunted, they interpf»so the only ban'ier to gmdual freedom of mutual intercburse. If her national rights were restored to Japan tomorrow, there would be no unreasonable delay in the opening of tlie country to foreign ingress. But this is not wliat they want. The^' must have unrestricted accees under conditions buoyant to their own i)rosperity but fatal to the life of Japan. Some of the home governments — notably those whose existence is beginning to depend upon the raj)i(l extension 6f their trade — are vividly aware of these factH, and are content to let them stand unaltered. Others are blind fi*om heedlessness. Except in mre instances, the representatives of all of them are allowed to work out their individual wills. So the process of un- intennipted interference goes on. It cannot last foi-ever, but it is a scandal to the nations that it has lasted thus long and that the end is not yet in sight. 228 FOSSlBILJTlh'S OF THE FUTURE. Apr. 1875. • _^ What it is all worth, and what evils it may have the chance of involving, its application in the case of the Formosa expedition sufficiently shows. The representative of the Great Republic of America went out of his way to throw impediments in the course of a public-spirited and humane enter- prise, for the redress of wrongs which liis own countrymen, as well as others, had suffered, — ^that enterprise l)eing the task of the Eastern Empire which has a better founded claim to tlie sym|)athy and sup|X)rt of the United States than of any other country. Ha])pily, the llepubliciin Minister failed to paralyze the impulses of Japau(3sc action in this instance. The end shows what the brave little state may accomplish in defiance of the discouraging and tormenting anxieties to which it is now liable. Wliat it might effect, in the direction of a sound and healljiy development, if the foreign public sense of justice should revolt at its treatment, and, in spite of those whose interest is centred in its continued subjugation, ordain its free acceptance into the community of nations, can well be estimated by all whose generous uiBtincts are not sunk in prejudice or obstinate conceit.. APPENDIX, A. It 18 hardly esj^ential, in this hasty narrative, to introduce the com- plete historical evidence showing the connection between Riu Kiu and Japan. In case of need, the fact that the dependency has existed for centuries could easily be estiiblished ; but inasmuch as the Chinese themselves have renounced all claim to the partial authority with which foreigners formerly credited them, the question requires no further investigation. 13. In illustration of the absence of necessity for written declarations of so pvitent a ftict as Ohina*s lack «>f authority over aboriginal Formosa, one of the membei-s of the firet Japanese delegation subsequently employed this comimrison : " Until a recent time, the sovereigns of England called " themselves kinj^s of France, and included the lilies of that country in '' their arms. That was a far more direct nominal claim than China ever "assumed over Formosa. Yet an ambassador who should have asked " for a written declaration that England had no jurisdiction over France " would have been derided. A fact so imiversally known might indeed " have been to\iched upon in verlial discussions, but its documentary "acknowledgement would never have be^n required." The records of Charlevoix, de Mailla, and many others, supply the fullest testimony of the sway of the Jajxmese in Formosa during the early 230 ^ APPENDIX. part of the seventeenth century. The first named author recites, with minute detail, various evidences of the Japanese strength and explains the causes of its gradual decline. D. The unabridged story of General Le Gendre's first visit to the interior of Southern Formosa may be foimd in the United States' Diplomatic Correspondence for 1868, where it stands in vigorous and refreshing con- trast to the customary dullness of tape-bound documents of state. E. It may be mentioned that the fii*at information of the wholesale slaughter of the Kiu Kiu mariners Wc\s not impart^.d to the Chinese government by Japan. The authorities of Peking knew of the circum- stances, in fact, a long time before they could be communicated to the Tokio rulers, and had ample opportunities of moving in the matter without waiting for the action of their neighbor. An empty Imperial decree, ordering an inqiiiry which it was well understood would never take place, was the only notice vouchsafed until the subject was brought before the Tsung li Yamen with irresistible force. F. The first step of the recent change in the Japanese form of government was the redistribution of the old feudal provinces into what were called "han." Over these, the former daimios were appointed to rule as governorp. But presently a more radical reformation was cai-vied out. The system of " han " was abolished, and a second reorganization took place. The local departments now l)ecame "ken," and were administered by officers directly appointed by the central authority. The old nobility thus ceased, as a rule, to exercise political control in any part of the emj)ire. APPENDIX. 231 » It has always been declared by the savage leaders who came in contact with General Le Gendre in 1867 that no strangers of any nation, with a single exception, have since been intentionally maltreated. The exception ifl China. The aborigines steadily refuse to bind themselves by any pacific pledges so far as the Chinese race is concerned. " I. The protest of Mr. Bingham, together with as many of his communica- tions uix)n this subject as the United States' government has seen fit to publish, may be found in the volume of Diplomatic Corresi^ndence of 1874. J. ' One of the most striking contrasts between the practical methods of the Jajmnese and the antique theories of the Chinese was exemplified in these transactions of Yanagiwara, Saigo, Shen and Pan. The two latter officials pursued the familiar [Jan of putting themselves in comnlunication with Japanese officers holding a rank superior to their own, in the exj)ect- ation that enormous advantages would thereby be gained, and that a diplomatic triumjJi must inevitably follow. One of the first points, in Chinese negociatioiis, is to attera])t to humble a disputant by forcing him to confront an inferior, and by keeping him at a distance from the real sources of power. In this instance, however, the efi'ort was a failure from beginning to end. Yanagiwam and Saigo met Pan Wi, heard all that he had to say, received his pro})ositions, and then infonned him that he was not the person with whom they could definitely treat. . If Shen had himself visited them, the conlerences might have reached a more advanced stage, but, even then, a reference to higher authorities, for ultimate decision, would have been insisted ujx>nT ■• /